


Unlimited

by Little Keplerette (classycloudcuckoolanderclasso)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug, South Park
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Miraculous Ladybug AU, Miraculous Ladybunny AU, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-26 06:52:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 76,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7564411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/classycloudcuckoolanderclasso/pseuds/Little%20Keplerette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Earrings?"</p><p>Butters held up the box holding the two studs, raising an eyebrow at them. Not that they weren't good looking studs - they were red and perfectly circular, and actually they were perfect for the dress Bebe had loaned him before, the ladybug patterned dress he would be toting at her fashion show in a few weeks.</p><p>And then something red and glowing flew out of the studs and Butters was screaming.</p><p>{Based off of my Miraculous Ladybunny AU on Tumblr.}</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginnings of a Ladybug

_"What do the Miraculous do again, Nooroo?"_

_The small purple kwami tilted his head and smiled. "The Miraculous are magical jewels that, when worn as jewelry, allow whoever's wearing them to receive superpowers based on whatever they are."_

_"You're the kwami of the Moth Miraculous, right, Nooroo?"_

_"That's right," Nooroo nodded. "I give anyone wearing my Miraculous the ability to make anyone else superheroes, and to make them their loyal followers."_

_Silence. And then... "Just superheroes, Nooroo?"_

_"Well... superpowered beings, more or less," Nooroo mumbled, almost as an afterthought. "But the Miraculous should not be used for evil purposes! it should only create superheroes to help protect the world!"_

_"But how am I supposed to get what I really want, Nooroo?!" The kwami flinched as a foot stomped on the ground, startling the numerous white butterflies surrounding them into fluttering up and away from the floor they had been resting on. "To get what I really want, I need the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous, and with them, I'll have absolute power! I can do anything I want!" The voice lowered. "... I'll have the one thing I want. My family back together again..."_

_Soft, almost unblemished hands caressed a small purple brooch, popping it open and revealing the photo of a group of children, all of differing ages, arms draped over each other affectionately as they smiled widely at the camera. Fingers brushed against the faces of the older children in the picture, and for a moment, Nooroo thought he could still change the child's mind about the idea._

_The brooch snapped closed, and the kwami sighed. Perhaps it had been too much of a stretch to hope that he could have changed their mind - children were usually incredibly stubborn, no matter how kindhearted or gentle of temperament they were, and the one currently in possession of the Moth Miraculous was no exception._

_**To be fair** , he thought to himself, **living in a town like South Park, this child is far more kindhearted than the others, and pure of heart**._

_**... Well, at least, they used to be** , Nooroo thought bitterly.  **All the evils they had seen in their life, all the misdeeds done to them... and to their loved ones... it has finally given this child a reason to rise up and fight back - in the worst possible way.**_

_"Nooroo."_

_The kwami looked up._

_"Dark wings, rise."_

_The white butterflies all began to cling to their body, and Nooroo bowed his head, disappearing into the Miraculous. Moments later, the butterflies all burst apart, revealing a child, possibly a preteen, wearing a very dark violet butterfly shaped mask, a deep violet, almost black hood draped over their head, obscuring their hair from view, but leaving a perfect view of their masked face. Wide green blue eyes and a small mouth that once only smiled with all the goodness in the world, now smirked as a pair of large black and white wings, almost twice as big as them, unfurled from behind them and fluttered once, stirring up the other white butterflies nearby with the gusts of wind it made. The brooch rested on what was now a purple scarf, tied around their neck and hanging in front of the dark violet and lilac suit they wore presently._

_"..." They examined their hands, gloved with black, before bowing their head. "... From this day forth..."_

_"... I am Hawk Moth. And nothing will stand in my way of getting the Miraculous."_

**_"Nothing."_ **

-=-

Butters was pretty sure the box hadn't been in his bag before he had gone home that day.

Shutting the door behind him, the blond headed towards his bed, shrugging his sling bag off and draping the strap over his pillow before sitting down cross legged on top of the sheets, turning over the small wooden box in his hands curiously. It was octagonal in shape, and black like the night, etched with red engravings, and quite frankly it was making him both nervous and excited.

Excited, mainly because it was a strange new box and ooh, there could be a gift inside!

Nervous, mainly because oh my god it was a strange new box and there could be a bomb inside. Oh god.

In his fifteen or so years of living in the quiet redneck mountain town of South Park, Butters Stotch had seen pretty much everything. Killer guinea pigs, giant Mecha Streisand, a hapa noa, Mexico, the rise and continuous rising of a gay ship between two of his classmates, aliens, what could have been World War Three between them and the neighboring Canada had Satan himself not reset the whole world just for one of his classmates and good friends, he'd seen it all.

Speaking of the classmate Satan had done a favor for...

The box abandoned for the moment, Butters laid down on his bed and sighed, the face of one Kenny McCormick coming into mind. Or at least, what little of his face he could see every day. Kenny always had his face hidden in his worn out orange parka - his gorgeous,  _gorgeous_ face, Bebe had told him once before, in seventh grade when Kenny came to school wearing a face mask instead of his parka - and quite frankly it drove Butters insane, not being able to see his face properly.

Not that he would give up  _anything_ to see Kenny's face, honestly - he was quite content to just be there with Kenny and talk with him, as friends should always do. Kenny was his friend and friends were there for each other and considering your friends incredibly attractive and beautiful inside out was something very good friends did, right?

Butters analyzed that thought in his head, and he groaned, grabbing his pillow and slamming it over his face. He was a goner.

Wait, the strange new box he found in his bag. Where was it?

Sitting up, the blond felt around for it, and when his hand finally closed around it, he stared at it once more, before opening it, the lid swinging open to show what looked to be...

"Earrings?" Butters held up the box holding the two studs, raising an eyebrow at them. Not that they weren't good looking studs - they were red and perfectly circular, and actually they were perfect for the dress Bebe had loaned him before, the ladybug patterned dress he would be toting at her fashion show in a few weeks.

And then something red and  _glowing_ flew out of the studs and Butters was  _screaming_.

_"Butters? Butters, what's the matter, dear?"_

"N-n-nothin', mom!" The blond stammered to the mother who was anxiously waiting outside his door, eyes not leaving the one thing he was focused on as he slowly put the box down beside him. "I-I just remembered that I messed up a step while doin' my homework, nothin' special!"

 _"Well, if you're sure, Butters... don't scare me like that again!"_ And in a few footsteps, she was gone, presumably to get back to cooking.

But the floating red thing in front of Butters's face certainly wasn't.

"Hi!" The small floating red thing squeaked, and Butters screamed again.

_"Butters! What is all this commotion about?!"_

It was his father now outside the door. Immediately the little red thing hid back inside the studs as Stephen Stotch barged in, surprisingly enough looking both incredibly pissed and incredibly worried at the same time. "Butters, what is the meaning of this?!"

"I-I-I-uhhh, that is-"

"Oh, honey, he probably just made a mistake with his homework again. Let him be for now, it's his first day back at school for the tenth grade!"

Thank  _Jesus_ for Mom sometimes.

The man pondered this for a moment, staring at his wife, before sighing and turning to Butters. "You're off the hook for now, mister, but the second you start screaming like a banshee again I'm dragging you off to the psychiatrist. AND you'll be grounded."

"Y-yes sir! W-won't happen again today, sir!" Butters saluted.

The door shut behind him.

Butters sighed.

The little red thing popped out again.

"Sorry for scaring you, really, I am, Leopold," The floating creature told him earnestly, its hands (?) looking like they were clasping together as they assumed an apologetic stance, looking down momentarily. "I didn't think you'd scream this loud when I revealed myself."

Butters's hands were still shaking, but to counter it, he promptly sat on them, both to hopefully stop it and to warm his suddenly ice cold hands. It did warm his hands, but it did nothing to stop the shaking. The small red creature sat in midair patiently, waiting for him to speak, wide blue eyes blinking innocently at him until finally, he released his hands, placing them on either side of him with a sigh. He looked up at it.

"Are you feeling any better now, Leopold?" The floating red thing asked gently.

Butters hesitated for a moment, and then nodded just a little. "Y-yeah. I'm feelin' a li'l better, thanks."

"That's good. I'm really sorry for scaring you, I really am," Judging from the voice, the creature was either female or just feminine-sounding, so Butters, for the time being, decided to call 'it' a 'she'. "It must be jarring for you to see me, huh?"

"... Not really." He wasn't really lying; living in South Park had its advantages and disadvantages, and having seen some shit was both. "I've seen scarier. And worse."

The small floating thing frowned. "Oh, you poor dear."

"Tha's alright though; I'm used to it," Butters twiddled his thumbs before looking back up at her. "How'd y'know my name was Leopold, though? And what _are_ you?"

The creature blinked. "Oh. Well... I'm a kwami! And I know your name because I'm your partner. I learn about all the Miraculous holders who come into possession of my Miraculous, like you!"

"M-M-Miraculous? K- _kwami?_ " What in the hey-hey was going on?

"Those earrings right there!" She dived down a little to hover over the earrings in the box. "This is your Miraculous, Leopold! And that's just what I am, a kwami! We live in Miraculouses like these!"

Baby blues blinked blearily. "I have  _no_ idea wha's goin' on, li'l miss red."

"Oh, did I forget to mention my name? I'm Tikki!" The kwami - Tikki - seemed to curtsy in midair before doing a loop-de-loop. "And like I said, I'm your partner, Leopold! Or did you want to be called Butters instead?" She tilted her head curiously. "Your parents called you Butters, didn't they? I didn't think it really was your nickname, but... apparently it is."

Butters smiled. "It's a real neato nickname, in my opinion. Better than sayin' Leopold all the time. Everyone calls me Butters." Pause. "Well, 'cept Kenny. He calls me Leo."

"Alright, then I'll call you Butters!" Tikki smiled warmly, and for a moment, there was only a warm, comfortable silence between the two of them, until Tikki started circling the Miraculous in the box curiously. At this, Butters raised an eyebrow, and voiced his concerns, saying, "What'cha doin', Tikki?"

"Why aren't you putting them on?"

"H-huh?"

"The Miraculous. You should try putting them on!"

"B-but why? I ain't goin' out today."

Tikki floated over the box and rolled in the air before facing Butters again. "You'll need to wear the Miraculous all the time, Butters. Since you're the holder of the Ladybug Miraculous, you'll have to wear it all the time."

"They're cute, I'll give ya that," Butters admitted, picking the studs up and turning them around before putting them on his ears, thankful for the piercings his mother had insisted he get as a child and maintained throughout the past fifteen years. His father had been adverse to it at first, yes, of course he was, but his mother had overruled his opinion and taken him to get his ears pierced herself, with or without his approval. Butters himself was overjoyed, because that meant he could buy earrings to wear now, but his father still frequently expressed his distaste every time he went downstairs with earrings on.

Tikki giggled. "You look cute, Butters!"

"Why, thank ya kindly!" Butters grinned, and stood up, moving towards the only mirror in his room to take a look at himself.

 

"See? Adorable!" Tikki gushed, and Butters couldn't help but smile right back, confidence boosted by the small little kwami. "I'm so glad you're my chosen - I can tell you're beautiful, both inside and out!"

Butters's gaze focused on Tikki's reflection in the mirror, the smile slipping into a small frown. "I ain't beautiful."

"No, you are. Trust me; I'm your partner, I know this!" Tikki gave him a patient smile, and swooped down to hug his neck affectionately before sitting on his shoulder. "You must trust me on this: you are beautiful inside and out, even if you don't think so."

Butters's lip curled as he rubbed his arm, but he didn't fight it. Tikki smiled.

"So, uh..." The blond poked at the earrings quizzically.

Tikki blinked. "What is it, Butters?"

"I got a question."

"Shoot! I'm all ears."

"If I'm a 'chosen', an' this is a 'Miraculous'... then..." He looked up at her. "What's the reason why I was chosen? Who chose me?"

 _Ah_. Tikki thought about this for a moment, and then decided to lead him back to the bed, where he took a seat once more, cross-legged, as she floated across from him, appearing to cross her tiny kwami 'legs' in midair as she thought about his questions, mulling them over. Finally, after what seemed like a decade, she answered him. "You were chosen because the current Jade Turtle decided that you had a good and honest heart, and was worthy of the Ladybug Miraculous."

Butters's eyebrow rose. "Who's Jade Turtle?"

"Jade Turtle is the one in possession of the Turtle Miraculous, and guardian of all the other Miraculous that haven't been handed out and are still under his protection," Tikki replied patiently, rocking her 'feet' back and forth.

"He has a Miraculous an' a kwami too?"

"The Turtle Miraculous, yes. His kwami is Wayzz, the turtle kwami." Tikki reminisced, smiling wistfully. "I wonder how he's doing."

Suddenly, Butters had a thought. "W-w-wait a min; if you came from that Jade Turtle guy... an' I found your box in my bag... d-d-does this mean he messed with my stuff while I wasn't lookin'?!"

"Oh, no, he just slipped my box in your bag, most likely, nothing more!" Tikki clasped her 'hands' together the best she could. "He didn't touch anything, I think. I trust him; he is a good person, the current Jade Turtle."

"A-an' why's he just called 'Jade Turtle'?! Doesn't he have a name?!"

"Oh, he does, but... Jade Turtle is his superhero name, like how Ladybug is yours."

Beat.

Butters stared.

Tikki stared back.

"... What'cha just say just now?"

The kwami smiled. "Jade Turtle is his superhero name, like how Ladybug is yours."

_Jade... Lady... super hero... wait... **wait a minute**..._

"... Me...?" Butters lifted a trembling hand and lifted a finger to point at himself. " _I'm_... I'm gonna be a superhero?"

"That's what the Miraculous is for, silly! They can give you super powers!"

_Oh my gosh._

"As the wielder of the Ladybug Miraculous, you're to become a ladybug themed superhero!"

_Oh my GOSH._

Butters's hand slowly reached for the phone in his bag, but Tikki immediately swatted his hand away. He retracted the hand, wincing. "Ow! Tikki, what th' heck was that for?! I was jus' gonna call-"

"I'm sorry, Butters, but nobody else must ever know of my existence!" The kwami told him seriously, though it was a little impossible for him to take her seriously with the large blue eyes and the slightly oversized head on her tiny red body.  _No, Butters, that's what people do to you all the time. Don't do that. She's important._ "The Miraculous and us kwami have been a secret for centuries; we can't stop now!"

"Oh... oh, okay... I understan'... kinda..."

Tikki gave him a look.

"... Okay I don't really understand anythin'. But I'm tryin'!"

"Oh, Butters..." Tikki gestured for his hands, and Butters cupped them together almost instinctively, the kwami then proceeding to sit snugly in his palm like it was a chair made for her. "It's really important that you don't tell anyone about me, okay? There are people out there to get the Miraculous."

"R-really?"

"Yes," Tikki nodded solemnly. "Bad people. People who don't deserve the Miraculous, but want their powers for themselves. There are a lot of us, and if we fall into the hands of even one wrong person... the world could never be the same again. It could end as we know it."

 _All that... if these little earrings end up with the wrong person?_ Butters allowed Tikki to leave his cupped hands before he fiddled with the earrings tentatively, gaze cast down, a contemplative frown on his face - something that the little kwami didn't miss. With a concerned look on her face, Tikki hovered close to his nose, and, spotting the blob of red right in front of his face, looked up a little, going cross-eyed as he tried to bring her into focus. Giggling, Tikki backed up a little, allowing his gaze to zone in on her, before she dashed forward, surprising him as she hugged his nose.

"You're worried that you're the wrong person for the job, huh?" At his surprised stare, the kwami laughed. "You're my partner. I think I can guess whatever you're feeling."

Butters slumped forward, sighing. "Yeah... c'mon, Tikki... am I really s'posed to be your partner?"

"I  _know_ you're the right choice," Tikki affirmed, swooping down and placing one of her 'hands' on top of Butters's. "Butters, you're a genuinely good person. I can tell. Jade Turtle did well in choosing you. I can only hope he picked the right person for the Cat Miraculous."

"The Cat Miraculous?" Butters blinked. "Wait, he's out picking chosen ones  _now?"_

"Well, only for the Cat and the Ladybug Miraculous, so far..." Tikki sounded mournful. "The Moth Miraculous went missing recently, so... he feared that whoever has it could use the Miraculous for evil instead."

"You can  _do_ that?"

"Yes; all of us can be used for evil, but it is never something we wish to do," Tikki bowed her head. "That is why Jade Turtle is searching for wielders of the two most powerful Miraculous of all, the Ladybug and the Cat Miraculous."

The blond froze.  _Wait. What?!_ "T-t-the most powerful Miraculous of all?"

"Yes, very much so; whoever controls both Cat and Ladybug Miraculous... will have absolute power."

Butters looked ready to faint.

"That's why he split the Miraculous between you and somebody else, though!" Tikki waved her 'hands' around in a 'don't worry' gesture. "Together, you and the future Chat Noir will be able to defeat anything that comes your way, and be able to protect South Park from any evils that may plague it!"

"T-Tikki, I can't even  _fight!"_

"Yes you can!" Tikki's gaze shifted to his closet, and Butters followed her line of sight to the foil armor of- oh. He frowned. Professor Chaos. "I know you can fight... it's something that's already in you, just like everyone else! Anyone can fight, but only chosen one can become Miraculous holders!"

"Tikki, if... if you know about Professor Chaos, then-" The kwami bumped her head against his, interrupting him. He flinched back. "Ow! Tikki!"

Tikki huffed. "Stop that negative talk, Butters! Professor Chaos is a part of you, yes, but it is not  _all_ of you! Whatever negative feelings you may have, it doesn't change the fact that you are a good person, and that you've passed the test!"

"WHAT TEST?!"

"The test that proves you are worthy of becoming Ladybug of course!"

The blond looked annoyed as he moved to remove the studs in his ears. "Really?  _How_ did I pass?"

"You passed the test by showing that after your Professor Chaos phase, you still remained Butters!" He froze at her words. Tikki, encouraged by this, continued on. "You were angry, you were very angry, and that manifested as Professor Chaos, all those years ago. But after that, you grew out of it. You learned to forgive and forget. Your heart... it was big enough to do so." Tikki spread her 'arms' out wide. "Your heart is so big, Butters. Your kindness is so pure. You care deeply about others even if they don't care too much about you. You.. you're practically a perfect Ladybug, if I do say so myself."

Butters looked down. "..."

"..." The kwami tried to meet his gaze, flying a little lower. "... Butters?"

"... Thanks, Tikki." He looked up again, and the kwami could see that he was smiling, even just a little. "That... that means a lot... no one's ever really told me that before..."

Tikki smiled, and hugged his nose again. "It's only the truth, Butters."

"... So the Moth Miraculous was taken? By who?" Butters asked.

"Nobody knows," Tikki admitted. "Jade Turtle is just worried for Nooroo's wellbeing, besides the state of the Miraculous itself... Nooroo... I wonder how's he's doing."

Butters pondered this for a moment. "Nooroo is... the kwami of the Moth Miraculous?"

"You're very smart, Butters." This Tikki said with a smile that warmed Butters's heart. "Yes, he's the Moth Miraculous's kwami. I wonder if he's doing alright, but... more importantly..."

"What?"

"I know Jade Turtle has already started looking for the wielder of the Cat Miraculous. I wonder if he picked someone already?"

"Maybe he already did."

"Who knows?"

-=-

In his rundown house, Kenny McCormick let out a muffled scream of terror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just testing the waters
> 
> art/doodles aren't guaranteed every chapter because i'm perpetually exhausted


	2. To Be A Chat Noir

Kenny liked to think he was a pretty okay person.

He tried his best to maintain his admittedly shitty grades, he did whatever he could to make his little sister Karen smile, tried his best to protect her from whatever evils he could, and tried his best to connect with both her and their older brother, Kevin. He had friends - many good ones, in fact - and he prided himself on being the shoulder most leaned on whenever troubles bothered them. He was a good listener, that many people knew - people could rant to him about their problems, and he'd sit there listening until they tired themselves out and got it all out of their systems.

Overall, he thought he was a pretty decent guy.

So  _why_ was he being saddled with  _this_ little demon?

"Blech, this place is a dump! One of my old Chat Noirs was way more loaded than you are! He had an  _arcade machine!_ "

"Get over here!" Kenny jumped up, his hood falling back to reveal messy dark blond locks as he tried to grab the floating black creature, but the thing just glided away from him, examining the rest of his room in distaste, biting on some of his things just to see if it was edible. The boy fell flat on his rear, yelping, as the small being continued to explore, 'ooh'ing and 'aah'ing at the things it considered interesting, and making faces at the things it found detestable. "H-hey! Stop it! Stop biting my stuff, goddammit!"

"Ooh, what a pottymouth on you. Such a rebel, aren'tcha?" The black thing nibbled on what appeared to be an old Poptart before blanching, flying away. "Yuck! What kind of trash is this?"

With a growl, Kenny snatched it away, his ears burning. "That's my breakfast, you black asshole!"

"Ow, geez, can't you afford any better? Like, say, camembert?" The creature sighed dreamily at the mention of the food. "Ahhh, my beloved camembert. Beautiful, beautiful camembert, how I could eat you for days and days."

Kenny raised an eyebrow before swooping his hands around in a mock grand fashion. "Well, as you can probably tell, I'm dirt poor. So  _no,_ I can't afford any better."

"Hm..." The black creature spun around again, taking in the room once more, before sighing and sitting back down on Kenny's bed. "Alright, I think I can understand your situation a little better now, Kenneth."

"... How'd you know my name?"

"I'm a kwami, and your partner. I'm kinda supposed to." With a yawn, the little thing introduced itself. "Name's Plagg, and I'm your friendly neighborhood kwami of the Cat Miraculous. Don't tell anyone about me, that's important. Capiche?"

Kenny sat down next to the kwami, brow furrowing as he poked the kwami's cheek with a finger. Despite its -  _his,_ Kenny corrected, - protests, he continued to pet and poke Plagg, trying to get a feel for him. The little black feline-shaped thing had popped out of a strange silver ring in a small octagonal black box, decorated with oriental red markings that oddly enough reminded him of the old City Wok restaurant he had taken a job at, and quite frankly, he had  _screamed_ like a little bitch when he had seen him, immediately drawing his parka closed with the drawstrings. In response, Plagg had decided to examine his stuff, and it was then that his fear had faded away, only to have been replaced by annoyance.

"Hey,  _hey!_ Stop it!" Plagg swatted him away. "I'm not a plush toy you can just poke around! I am a _kwami!_ "

"Sorry," Kenny apologized immediately before a thought occurred to him. He stared at Plagg. "Wait a minute. I don't even know  _what_ a kwami is."

Plagg huffed before gesturing to the silver ring, still sitting in the small black box on Kenny's sheets. Kenny's gaze traveled to it for a few moments before he immediately refocused on the kwami, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Plagg groaned. "Put it on, stupid."

"Put what on?"

"The ring! The miraculous!"

"The  _what?"_

If Plagg had fingers and a visible nose bridge, he would have pinched it by now in the same way Stan always did so; Kenny could tell from his facial expression. "Okay, fast summary. I'm Plagg, I'm a kwami, a being who can grant powers, and I'm now your partner because you have the Cat Miraculous, which is this ring over here." His tail flicked in the ring's direction, and Kenny picked up the box, pulling out the ring and examining it from all sides as Plagg continued to explain. "Miraculous give certain powers depending on what it is, and lucky you, yours is the power of destruction."

Kenny immediately dropped the ring on the bed like it was fire.

"Hey,  _hey_ , be careful with that! This is a precious magical item!" Plagg hissed.

"Fuck that, my power is  _destruction?!_ "

"That's actually  _cool,_ you know? And besides, it's already a done deal since you got the Cat Miraculous." Plagg picked up the ring again and placed it on Kenny's lap gingerly. "Now if you got the  _Ladybug_ Miraculous, you'd have the power of creation, and that's just as much of a hard job as being in charge of destruction."

The blond tentatively picked up the ring, feeling it. It  _did_ seem to radiate a sort of mischievous, but ultimately good, aura, despite being an item that gave the power of destruction. It still made him rather unnerved, however. "I don't know, Plagg. I've already kind of got a superpower. Sort of."

"Oh, your being unable to die?" At Kenny's wide eyed stare, Plagg cackled. "I know all about it, dummy. I'm your partner; this kinda stuff doesn't stay secret for too long, especially since we've been in the same room together in close proximity for almost an hour now. And that's not a power, that's a curse." He tapped the Miraculous. "A curse that, with any luck, can be countered with the Miraculous!"

The boy's eyes narrowed. "I've had this 'curse' ever since I was a kid. What makes you so sure that suddenly having you and this ring will change all that?"

"I'm not sure. Duh. I believe it to be so, though." The kwami yawned before asking, "Put it on already, won't you?"

"No. Not until I know exactly  _what_ the fuck I'm getting into. Where did this ring come from? I know I didn't have it before I came home today."

"The current Jade Turtle slipped it into your bag before you came home."

"How?"

"I don't know. I was asleep, you know?"

Kenny gritted his teeth. "Who's Jade Turtle?"

"Another Miraculous wielder - owner of the turtle Miraculous." Plagg did a roll as Kenny's fingers twitched over the ring. "Those who are in charge of the turtle Miraculous usually live to be really old, and are the guardians of the other Miraculous until it's time to find new partners for all of us kwami in the Miraculous. There, did I answer all your questions?"

Silence.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... Plagg."

The catlike kwami blinked. "Yes?"

 

"... I can't do this." Kenny's fingers closed over the ring, but he didn't return it to the box it had been in prior. His gaze fell to the floor momentarily before he looked up again. "I... I'm already Mysterion. I can't be a different superhero... that'd cause too much confusion and cause Cartman to stir up some more shit than necessary."

Plagg closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "I dunno who this Cartman is yet, but let me tell ya this kid: you don't  _have_ to abandon your Mysterion persona. From what I can tell, Mysterion's just a side job that isn't even  _that_ much of a superhero role, right?" At Kenny's silence, the kwami continued. "Sure, you're your sister's guardian angel. I picked up that much from the past few minutes. You defeated this... Cthulhu guy? Yeah. But that's Mysterion."

"..."

"By taking the Cat Miraculous, you're gonna be Chat Noir. Someone completely different. Someone with the ability of destruction." Plagg, for once, looked incredibly serious, green eyes blinking slowly. "And I dunno about you, destruction is pretty fun, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it's bad."

Kenny looked back to his closed fist as Plagg continued to speak. "Besides. You're not gonna be alone. I know Jade Turtle went looking for a Ladybug too."

"Ladybug?"

"Wielder of the Ladybug Miraculous, which, as I said before, holds the power of creation. Whoever has both Miraculous has absolute power, yadda yadda, so he split them up between you and whoever." The kwami shrugged. "Balance of yin and yang and all that noise, you know?"

"I... I see..."

"C'mon, Kenny," Plagg flew straight up to the blond's face, startling him into moving backwards. "You can do this. You've got the kinda spirit all my other Chat Noirs had before they retired from their roles as superheroes. I know you can be a great Chat Noir if you'd just try."

The blond opened his fist. The ring stared back at him.

"It'd be another way to protect what little family you still care about."

Blue eyes widened.

"Well?"

Plagg gave him an ultimatum. Kenny answered it by slipping the ring on his finger.

-=-

"You know, one of my previous masters gave a Miraculous to the wrong person once."

"You think I'll make the same mistakes as that Jade Turtle?"

"Well, no," Wayzz admitted, watching as hands closed the music box holding the Miraculous gems still under their care - the fox, the peacock, and the bee Miraculous. Unlike his previous owner's hiding spot for the Miraculous, which had been an old gramophone, the music box was much more compact and travel-ready, and definitely was a better hiding spot, the partition where the jewelry had been put sinking deep into the music box, a 'drawer' for all other non-Miraculous accessories soon covering it up, making it look like it hadn't even been there in the first place. "You are much younger, after all. Incredibly young, even, compared to most of them."

A scoff. "Your previous masters were old as hell. A hundred plus?"

"The oldest retired at one hundred and eighty six," Wayzz replied proudly. "Quite a feat, since the one who previously held the record for oldest Jade Turtle stopped at one hundred and fifty."

"An old geezer. All of them are old geezers. But what can I do? Turtles live for a long-ass time, anyway," Footsteps made their way over to the window, and Wayzz followed, staring out of the window with his current master. "Still, I ain't as young as I used to be, Wayzz. I ain't of retirin' age, but good Jesus Christ, I'm too fucking old for this superhero shit. I need to pass it down."

Wayzz chuckled. "You're only around 46 years old, Master."

"And I'm about twenty years old in spirit, Wayzz, never forget that." A hand reached over to fiddle with the small bracelet on the other wrist - the Turtle Miraculous. "I wanna retire though; this really ain't for me anymore, my good friend. I get more gray hairs by the day trying to see if they stay in fucking place than by maintaining the same batch of grade A assholes from fourth to tenth grade."

Wayzz nodded solemnly, placing a small stubby hand on a shoulder. "I understand. It's a shame to see you retire so early, however, master."

"I need to live my life, Wayzz. And you know I'm really fuckin' temperamental - way too temperamental to be a good Jade Turtle for long." A sigh. "I'm not leavin' my role yet for a while, though. Not until the other three Miraculous are needed by Ladybug and Chat Noir."

The green turtle kwami glanced over to where he knew the Miraculous were hidden. "Pollen, Trixx, and Duusu will be glad to stretch their limbs once you do send them out, master. But..."

"... worried about ol' Nooroo, huh?" Wayzz's spirits were lifted at the master's understanding smirk, as was their trademark. "I know. I don't even know  _how_ the Moth Miraculous got the fuck out, but all we can do now is hope that the new Ladybug and Chat Noir will be able to counter 'em, huh?"

The kwami nodded. "Nooroo's powers are dangerous in the wrong hands, Master. I can only hope he's doing alright."

"We all do, Wayzz," The turtle kwami sat on the green clothed shoulder of his master, sighing, as the old man spoke, staring out into the sun, setting over Stark's Pond, illuminating what he could see of the notable pond with a gentle orange red glow. "And I just hope those two kids I picked out to be the wielders actually do their damn jobs."

Wayzz laughed. "You've known them since they were fourth graders. Surely you're joking."

"I  _am_ joking, Wayzz. Jesus Christ." The old man laughed before sighing. "God dammit, McCormick... Stotch... do your damn jobs or this whole damn town will be ruined beyond-"

" _Mr. Garrison?"_

The man startled, and Wayzz immediately ducked back into the Miraculous. Coughing loudly, the man yelled back, "Who is it, goddammit? You could've given me a heart attack!"

" _I-it's just me, Mr. Garrison. Wendy Testaburger?"_

"Oh. Wendy." Mr. Garrison relaxed. "What're you doin' here in school so late?"

" _I could be asking the same of you, Mr. Garrison. Were you... talking to someone?"_

The old man glanced at his bracelet before laughing. "I was just on the phone, Wendy."

" _Oh... should I just come again tomorrow? I really shouldn't be here this late, really, but I was wondering if you would let me start a blog for the school newspaper, but then Cartman suddenly started-"_

Garrison gave the door a dry look, even though he knew Wendy couldn't see him. "Wendy, if that fatass doesn't want you doing it then that means it's most likely a good thing. You don't need my permission."

" _Oh, thank you Mr. Garrison!"_ Wendy's voice was delighted from behind the door. " _I'll see you tomorrow in homeroom then!_ "

"'Til then, Wendy. 'Til then."

Footsteps pattered away from the door, until Mr. Garrison heard no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shrugs @ what i'm doing


	3. La Lechuza

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in retrospect this is just as long as the origins episodes  
> i hope the next chapters won't be this long

 " _Butters? Butters, wake up!"_

"Five more min... its..." The blond turned over under the sheets, mumbling. "'M... sleepy..."

"Ohhh..." Tikki flew over to the window, peering out at the bus stop worriedly. There were a lot of people already there, standing around and talking with each other, and the kwami was getting incredibly worried for her partner missing the bus. "Butters, there are so many people at the bus stop already! Please wake up!"

"Nnnrghhh... chaos... never... w... zzz..."

_"Butters? Butters, dear, time to wake up!"_

"Oh nooo, that's Butters's mom!" The ladybug kwami zoomed over to the side of Butters's head and began whacking it with her tiny arms. "Butters, wake up, wake up! You're going to be late for school!"

"Tikki, shhh, m'tryin' to slee- HUH?!" The blond immediately jolted out of bed, eyes wide. "Tikki, why didn' you wake me up sooner?!"

"I  _was_ , silly Butters!"

"Aw nuts, I'm gonna get so grounded for this..."

-=-

It had been a pretty swell day for one Butters Stotch (besides the fact that he got grounded for sleeping in and the fact that he was almost late to first period).

His teachers hadn't called on him all day unless he raised his hand (a blessing, since he knew he wouldn't be able to answer much questions unless he had studied about it beforehand), so far everything had been rather quiet, Tikki had been humming him a little song every now and then while hiding in his backpack, and best of all, Kenny had been right beside him the whole time. Sure he hadn't said much, but it was always much more fun to sit next to Kenny than next to Cartman.

Currently, they were in the cafeteria for their shared lunch period with one of the other classes, though as to whose class it was, he wasn't quite sure. He was in the same class as Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman, so that was nice, he supposed, but he couldn't remember much of who were in the other classes, besides Charlotte Schulz, his Canadian ex-girlfriend.

Charlotte had been a Canadian transfer a few years back, during the Canadian wall incident, and had migrated back to Canada after the incident. She came back a few years later with her older brother Quigley and her younger sister Eglantine, but, much to everyone's surprise, the three of them were with the Harrison family, coming out of the same cramped car.

When Butters had asked her about it, a year after they had broken up on good terms, she told him that the untimely death of her mother had caused her father to go insane with grief, which meant that he was unfit to care for his three children. The death of her grandmother meant that they technically had no more guardians, and thus, had to be put in a foster home, but when her sister Eglantine had overheard one night that they were to be separated, she ran back to South Park and stumbled upon the Harrisons' home, where she had to stay for a while after nearly getting hypothermia.

In the end, the Harrisons discovered their predicament, and they had been welcomed into the Harrison family, the three Schulzes having their names legally changed to Quigley, Charlotte, and Eglantine Harrison, and so they all went to the same school the others did, much to Butters's delight, and Cartman's disgust. By this point in time, the prejudice against Canadians had dwindled somewhat, allowing the three siblings to thrive in South Park with a new family and new friends.

Speaking of Charlotte...

"Charlotte!" Butters called, waving wildly at his friend, who had just entered the cafeteria with her adoptive brother Gary. The blond Mormon noticed him calling, and tapped his sister on her shoulder, gesturing in his direction. Green eyes sought out the sweet face of her ex-boyfriend before she grinned widely and waved, patting Gary's shoulder to inform him she would be heading over to him before taking off in his direction. With an affectionate smile, Gary went the other way, towards the table of the Cotswolds siblings and their other friends.

"Hello, Butters!" Charlotte greeted in her sweet Canadian accent, gesturing to the empty seat on his right. Despite the fact that it had already been a few years, Charlotte had yet to actually change her hairstyle, despite the fact Butters had heard her say she would a lot of times. "Is this taken, guy?"

Kenny, who was on Butters's left, grinned. "Go ahead and take it, Charlotte. No one's sitting there today, Pip decided to sit at Damien's table."

"I see," The Canadian glanced at the Brit, who was indeed sitting with Damien, and two others, one a blond in an orange button up and another a brunet in a green shirt, a lollipop in his mouth. With a smile, she sat down and placed down her lunch before waving to the other people at the table - Kyle, who was seated across from Butters; Stan, seated at Kyle's right; David Rodriguez, seated at Kyle's left, and Cartman, seated at Stan's right. There was another empty seat across from Cartman, but this was soon occupied moments later by Kenny's book bag, which contained Plagg, sleeping on a block of cheese.

David glanced at the newcomer, blinking. "...?"

"What is it, David?" Kyle noticed his friend's confusion, tracing his gaze over to the equally confused Canadian, before connecting the dots. "Oh! You're wondering who this is!"

Stan raised an eyebrow. "Dude, you've never met Charlotte before?"

"She's in my class, but it's only been the second day. I don't know her."

"Dude, no, of course he wouldn't have- Charlotte moved in and out of South Park before David's family moved in," Kenny pointed out. "Remember? Mr. Garrison fucked the Canadian president to death way before the Yelpers started coming in."

"Right..."

"Okay, David, this is Charlotte, Butters's ex-girlfriend. Charlotte, this is David, he's from Idaho." Kyle gestured to the other as he mentioned their name, and David waved a little in her direction, Charlotte wiggling her fingers as a hello right back.

"Nice to meet you, David!"

"Same here, Charlotte."

"..." Cartman eyed the two of them quietly before taking a bite out of his ham sandwich.

For the next few minutes of lunch, the table had dissolved into idle chatter amidst the munching and chewing, most of Charlotte and David's interactions with each other involving their differing cultures. At one point, Charlotte and David had even traded ballers - David had given Charlotte a green baller with the words _'patear el culo'_ on them, while Charlotte had passed him a red one with the words 'Canada, eh?' on it. This exchange had not gone unnoticed by the others at the table, and Butters had excitedly began chatting up Charlotte about it, Kyle grinning and giving David a thumbs up on making friends with Charlotte.

For Cartman however, it was a different story.

"So, when's the wedding, huh?"

Stan stopped eating to stare at him. "Dude, what the fuck are you talking about?"

"..." Kenny seemed to pick up on Cartman's train of thought immediately, and he frowned inside his parka. "Cartman, don't."

"I'm seriously, you guys!" Cartman stood up and walked over to David and Charlotte's side of the table, taking one hand from each of them. "David-"

"It's  _Dah-veed,_ Cartman. We've been schoolmates for years now, why can't you remember?"

" _-David_ , and Charlotte..." His eyes closed. "I wish the two of you eternal happiness."

Charlotte's lips pursed into an 'o' shape in confusion as David bristled. "What are you talking about, Cartman?"

"Dude, don't you see? You're  _made_ for each other!"

"What the fuck?" Kyle stared. "What the fuck did you eat this time, fatass?"

"Ay, fuck you, Kahl!" Cartman yelled before putting David and Charlotte's hands together. "These two immigrants were made for each other, don't you see? They're gonna have cute little Mexicanadian babies together and they're gonna be floppy headed and dance the sombrero dance around a leetle sombrero riding teeny bicicletas."

Charlotte, finally understanding his implications, was somehow turning both redder  _and_ greener by the second, while David was turning redder with rage. "We just met, you fucking asshole!"

"When you first met her, you fell in love like this," Cartman pretended to swoon. "And then when you traded ballers just a few minutes, they were your promise to each other, a promise that... someday, immigrants will take over our country... and the two of you will be king and queen of all the Mexicanadians."

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT, ASSHOLE!" David slammed his palms on the table angrily.

Butters glanced back and forth, Tikki peeking out of his backpack a little to witness the exchange worriedly, as Cartman and David began exchanging insults and racist remarks, Charlotte sinking into her seat as Gary, from across the room, seemed to pick up on her discomfort and was now heading towards her. With all the noise, Plagg's head popped out of Kenny's book bag, curious, and, upon noticing the cat kwami, Kenny immediately stuffed him back inside the bag before anyone noticed.

Butters glanced at his watch.

Seven minutes 'til the next class.

"That's it! I'm fucking done!" David threw his hands up. "There's literally no point in arguing with you,  _que delirante culo!_ "

"You're Mexican, she's Canadian, both are immigrants, boom! You totally belong together, David."

"I'M FROM  **IDAHO** , GOD DAMMIT!" He stood up, pulling his backpack on. "AND IT'S  _DAH-VEED,_ NOT DAY-VID!"

"David, wait!" Charlotte called out in worry, but to no avail; David had already stormed out of the cafeteria, fists clenched and temper high. With an annoyed scowl, the Canadian rounded on Cartman and punched his shoulder, the boy wailing in pain as she picked up her bag and ran to her brother's side, Gary giving the others one last apologetic look before leaving with her, headed towards their next class.

"Augh! That fucking bitch!" Cartman whined. "Kinny, look, Butters's ex punched me! And to think I got her and him together years ago!"

Kenny frowned. "You thought it would stop a 'race war' if you brought them together. Also, you brought this on yourself, fatass."

"AY! I SAID DON'T CALL ME FAT, GODDAMMIT!"

"He's right, asshole, you can't just tell people that they belong together like that!" Kyle punched him in the same spot Charlotte had, and Cartman wailed some more. "Plus the fact that you were being fucking  _racist_ ,  ** _again!_** "

The brunet scowled. "I just  _said_ Mexicans and Canadians were both not American and that it meant they belonged together!"

Punch. "That's the point, asshole! You were being racist! That's not how the world works! They'll get together if they like each other, not like this!"

"If you ask me that's exactly how the world works! Be racist assholes to others before they're racist assholes to you!"

By this point, Kyle had had it. He lunged at Cartman furiously. "RRAAAAAGH!"

"AGH! WILD JEW ATTACKING, WILD JEW ATTACKING!"

The others spent most of the remaining minutes before their next class trying to wrestle Kyle off of the fatter boy.

-=-

" ** _Racism... yet again, it strikes in this quiet redneck mountain town of ours."_**

Hawk Moth had been sitting in the middle of all the white butterflies, their large wings fluttering every so often to shake off any of the tinier butterflies that decided to perch on them. With a dark smile, the Miraculous wielder held out a hand, and a white butterfly perched on their palm. " ** _Despite the attempts to become a better town, we cannot seem to shake off any stigma. You poor boy..."_** Their other hand covered the butterfly, and, through the power of their Miraculous, the butterfly became infused with a strange, dark energy.

Hawk Moth cupped their hands together and blew gently at the now black butterfly, the insect flying above and away from them. " ** _Fly, my little akuma, and evilize him!"_**

**_-=-_ **

"Stupid, stupid, Cartman...  _culo de grasa... culo de grasa... RRRAAAAGGGH!"_

David slammed his fist against the wall, muttering angrily. The hallway he had stormed off to was quiet, save for the muffled sounds of teachers droning on and on about their respective topics. With a frustrated yell, the boy slammed his palms against the wall again, the smacking sound echoing in the corridor loudly.

He was angry, that was clear. Incredibly angry.

Scowling, he braced himself against the wall in between the lockers, teeth bared, until finally, he sank to the ground, exhausted, but still incredibly angry. Cradling his forehead with one palm, he began fiddling with the baller band Charlotte had given him with the other hand, muttering obscenities to himself.

"Who does he think he is... telling me who to be friends with... fucking  _puta_... we just fucking met!"

As he muttered to himself, he didn't notice the small black butterfly landing on the baller, but the moment it did, it became covered in inky black, and he looked up, as if controlled, the outline of a glowing white butterfly hovering in front of his face, red shadowing his eyes.

 

**_"La Lechuza, my name is Hawk Moth."_ **

From their hiding place, Hawk Moth was smug and sure, a similar butterfly outline hovering in front of their face. **_"Racists in this world exist everywhere, but none are more detestable than those like him. Look what he did; he almost cost you a friend."_**

At Hawk Moth's words, David's gaze grew stormier.

**_"I have a proposition for you. I will give you the power to punish those who have used your race against you. Devour them - consume them like the weak maggots they are. Let them atone for their sins against you."_**

 

David's lips curled up into a sinister smile. "All wrongs will be righted, Hawk Moth _._ "

The boy stood up, and from the red baller band that said 'Canada, eh?', the one Charlotte had given him, a strange sort of purple and black darkness emerged, bubbling up and coating the boy in it from head to toe.

From their location, Hawk Moth smirked.

-=-

It had been in Math class when an unholy screech rang out from the courtyard.

Everyone who had been asleep had been startled awake at the terrifying sound, and everyone who had already been awake had subsequently begun to panic, the teacher's eyes widening at the sound. Butters, who had been one of those awake, had stared out the window in confusion and apprehension, when suddenly a dark shadow darted by the window, another screech ringing through the air.

In response, Lola let out a high-pitched scream.

"Everybody, evacuate the classroom!" The teacher ordered, trying to keep the panic in her tone from seeping out and worrying the students. "Make sure to read Chapters 4 to 5 for tomorrow's lesson!"

"What's going on...?" Kenny, being one of those who had been asleep, raised his head, just as the shadow burst through the window, the glass shattering all around them. Everyone screamed at the sound of breaking glass, hands covering their eyes, but they were all silenced by the unholy screech the shadow had let out. Butters peeked out from between his fingers, and almost screamed.

Towering over most of the people still in the classroom, it was a giant owl, plumage all black, save for the bottom feathers of each wing, which were a dark gray, and the dark violet 'mask' it possessed over its eyes, eerily enough reminding Butters of a butterfly. It was unlike any owl he had ever seen, considering that the owl seemed to have feathers that spiked upward towards the middle than split to the left and the right, and on one of its talons, there was a red baller, striking against its black feathers.

Wait.

A red baller?

The owl let out a giant screech, and immediately, the students began running out, yelling and screaming in fear. Butters had been one of them, as had been Kenny, but at the sound of Cartman's yelling, they whipped around, eyes widening, as the owl seemed to be aiming specifically for Cartman.

"AY! STOP PECKIN' AT ME, STUPID BIRD!" The boy yelled, whacking the owl in the face with his book before wobbling out of the room past Kenny and Butters. "Outta my way, fags! There's a bird afta me!"

The owl shrieked again, and barreled past the two blonds, knocking them over with its wings as it chased after Cartman down the halls, everyone in front of Cartman screaming as they tried to split up and leave him to the bird. Groaning, Butters rubbed the back of his head, stars in his eyes, until he managed to comprehend the fact that a scarred hand was being held out to him. Kenny's hand.

"You alright, Leo?" Kenny asked in concern, pulling up the other boy when he took his hand.

Flushing, Butters nodded meekly before excusing himself, ducking into one of the now empty classrooms and sighing to himself, Tikki flying out of his earrings to yell excitedly, "Butters, this is your chance!"

"Chance for what?"

"Your chance to be Ladybug for the first time!" The kwami cheered. "With Ladybug's powers, you can purify this akumatized friend of yours! All you gotta do is catch the black butterflies with your weapon and purify it!"

Butters froze in place.

-=-

"Now, all ya gotta do is say 'Plagg, claws out', and you'll transform into Chat Noir, got that? And when ya wanna use your special power, you yell 'Cataclysm'."

Kenny held out the ring awkwardly. "Just that?"

"Yeah."

"... You sure?"

"I've lived for more than a thousand years kid," Plagg replied nonchalantly, pretending to file a claw as he raised an eyebrow at his partner. "Now are ya gonna go save this akumatized kid or not?"

-=-

"I don't know, Tikki..."

"You can do it Butters! All you have to say is 'Tikki, spots on!' for it to work! And 'Lucky Charm' to use your special power!"

"Wait, so like, Tikki, spots on?" Butters echoed in confusion, only to yelp as Tikki grinned brightly, disappearing into the Miraculous. "W-waaah! T-T-Tikki-!"

-=-

"What the fu-"

Kenny could literally  _feel_ the costume change.

In bright electric green and black, the blond boy's signature orange parka had melted away into a black leather catsuit, complete with a golden bell and a black leather belt that constituted as his 'tail', his already messy bedhead getting tousled even further as black leather pieces folded to look like cat ears seemed to burst forth from balls of bright green light in between his hair. Black leather gloves with sharp tips made their way around his hands as a black mask bloomed across his face, changing his pretty blue eyes into bright green ones, the white of his scleras melting away into yellow green, his pupils turning into slits, not unlike that of a cat's eyes. Black leather boots completed his ensemble, until finally, he stood, alone in the classroom, completely transformed.

Holding out his now gloved hands, Kenny examined himself from head to toe curiously, flexing his fingers, before tapping his Miraculous, calling out, "Plagg? You there, buddy?" Silence. "Plagg?" More silence. "... Huh. Guess I'm all alone then."

**_SKREEEEEE!_ **

"Right, the giant owl!" Kenny - no, Chat Noir - ran to the nearest window and stared outside, looking for the owl, his eyes zoning in on the feathered monstrosity chasing after Cartman and the others, and with a frown, the new cat superhero patted himself down, checking for any items. "C'mon, there's gotta be something... aha!" 'Claws' clicked against something, and Chat Noir pulled it out, revealing a small metal cylinder with a bright green paw print on the front. Upon pressing the paw print, it extended long enough for it to be considered a bo staff, and he grinned, revealing sharp white teeth. "Alright! Let's get this party fucking  _started!_ "

-=-

"Golly..."

Butters peered down at his costume, a red bodysuit patterned with black dots reminiscent of a ladybug's. A yoyo hung from his hip, and a red mask with black dots on it had decorated his face. What was the most surprising about his transformation, however, was the fact that he seemed to have grown longer hair in the process.

Staring in the nearest reflective surface - which were glass cabinets - , Butters discovered that the hairstyle was not unlike his feminine alter ego Marjorine's, thick and loosely tied up with red ribbons. It was, quite frankly, the one thing that surprised him about the transformation, but he couldn't really ask Tikki about it right now - she had already disappeared into the Miraculous.

"Aw geez..." Butters - Ladybug - pulled out the yoyo and tried it out, pleasantly surprised to see it moving as it should when they tried it. "Huh. I didn' know I could use a yoyo. What if I-"

**_SKREEEEEE!_ **

_R-right, there's a giant owl on the loose!_ Their eyes narrowing, Ladybug ran over to the nearest window, searching for the creature, when suddenly they heard a voice.

"That all you got, featherbrain?!"

 _Who... who was that?_ Frowning in concern, Ladybug jumped out the window, only to scream as they realized that  _that_ was a  _bad_ idea, they were on the  _second flo-_ oh, no, they landed safely. Wow. Heart still racing, the red clad superhero then proceeded to run towards where they had heard the yelling, only to bump into-

"Ow! Watch where you're going, assho- huh?"

They had bumped into Kyle Broflovski.

The ginger haired boy was staring in awe at Ladybug, who could feel their nerves fluttering around like butterflies in their stomach, a hand clutching their yoyo tightly. Did he recognize them?

"Are you... are you another new superhero?" The boy asked, mouth agape.

 _Another new superhero?_ "W-well, sure, I'm a new superhero, I guess, but what d'you mean, a new one?"

"There's this guy calling himself Chat Noir attacking the owl monster in front of the school right now; you should help him!" With an excited grin, the Jew grabbed Ladybug's hand and then proceeded to drag them all the way outside, where indeed, the owl monster was playing cat and mouse with the black clad cat superhero, except in this case, the cat was the owl, and the mouse was the cat. Ladybug felt their heart soar, knowing that Tikki had been right, that there  _would_ be a Chat Noir around to assist them when they became Ladybug. It was... such a nice feeling.

**_SKREEEEEE!_ **

_Shit. Right. Owl monster. Gotcha._ A determined look on their face, Ladybug held Kyle back, telling him, "You go back and hide with the others. We'll deal with this overgrown chicken in a few minutes, got it?"

"Right!" The ushanka wearing boy turned on his heel and ran, so Ladybug went to join the other new superhero in the fray, barely missing Kyle ducking behind some debris instead of hiding with the others, a hand holding a phone recording the whole thing on video.

Meanwhile, Chat Noir was batting at the owl with his bo staff, trading blows with the bird's talons. "Ha! I could do this all day, birdbrain!"

"Need a hand, kitty cat?"

Chat Noir's eyes immediately flickered to his right, and suddenly, it was like a heavenly light had bathed the new arrival in a soft glow. "W-who're...?"

"Know any other superheros with ladybug motifs all over their outfit?" Ladybug gazed at their yoyo before throwing it at the owl, the yoyo seemingly wrapping itself around the owl's beak, shutting it. Eyes wide, Ladybug stared at their yoyo once again before yanking on it, the owl finally distracted from Chat Noir and turning its focus to the new arrival. Eyes narrowed as the owl surged forward, escaping the bonds of the yoyo string and snapping at the superhero, who tumbled away as fast as they could in response.

 ** _"La Lechuza!"_** A white butterfly outline glowing pink suddenly hovered in front of the owl's face.  ** _"Those are Ladybug and Chat Noir! They possess the Miraculous, and I need them! Go for their earrings and ring or I'll take away your powers!"_**

"As you wish, Hawk Moth!" The bird screeched, and immediately, both Chat Noir and Ladybug froze.

 _Holy shit... that's David!_ Green eyes flickered to the red baller around the fast approaching owl's talon.  _That's the baller Charlotte gave him! How didn't I notice it before?!_

"YOU'RE MINE!"

"Chat Noir, look out!"

"Wha-"

The cat hero had been knocked out of the way by Ladybug's yoyo as the owl swooped down towards him, beak wide open as if to swallow him. When it had missed, La Lechuza let out a shriek of frustration before turning on Ladybug, who began spinning the yoyo quickly and took a stance, as if challenging them. The owl seemed to smirk. "Don't you know that owls  _eat_ bugs,  _chica?_ "

"Don't you know that I'm not just any bug?" Ladybug shot back, grinning. From his hiding spot, Kyle's eyes widened as he 'ooh'ed in awe. La Lechuza's eyes narrowed, and it surged forward, only for Ladybug to backflip and land on their back, the yoyo still spinning rapidly as the yoyo's string began to wrap around the bird's neck. "I'm  _Lady_ bug, and I think it's time you were taught a-"

La Lechuza's head rotated all the way so that it was facing Ladybug on its back.

Ladybug's eyes widened. " _Shit."_

The superhero was flung off by the angry owl.

"My Lady!" Surging forward, the cat hero only barely managed to catch the falling ladybug hero, but once he did, he smiled cattily down at them. "It's too early to be falling for me, don't you think?"

Ladybug rolled their eyes before jumping out of his arms. "Fight first, flirt later, kitty cat. Don't want to get the fur flying before this big bird's been done with, now, do we?"

"Point taken, my lady. You sure are smart."

"It's common sense, not intelligence, pretty kitty."

**_SKREEEEEE!_ **

"Okay, we have  _got_ to stop forgetting that there's a giant owl still wrecking the- HEY!" Ladybug whipped their head around at Chat Noir's cry, and their eyes widened as the owl tore down a piece of already fallen debris, revealing a certain ginger, a hand still holding up a phone recording the fight. With a screech, La Lechuza picked him up in his talons and soared off into the sky, Kyle screaming in horror.

"We've gotta go after them!" Ladybug threw their yoyo out, and it soon secured around a tower tightly. When they pulled on it, they were pulled towards said tower, and, upon realizing what that meant, the hero immediately began repeatedly throwing the yoyo at tall structures, swinging away and after the flying creature, Chat Noir bounding and jumping and chasing after them on the roofs below, claws and boots clacking against the concrete as Kyle continued to scream obscenities into the air.

"Let me  _go,_ you overgrown chicken!" Kyle thumped his fists on La Lechuza's talons angrily until he noticed the red baller. His eyes widening, he looked up at the owl. "D... David...?"

"It's La Lechuza,  _joder!_ " The owl screeched, and flung Kyle at the nearest building, the boy screaming in terror as he braced himself for impact.

The sound of a yoyo whizzed past his ear, and he only had about a few moments to react before he found himself in the arms of Ladybug, who stared at him in concern as they swung away from La Lechuza with their yoyo, Chat Noir deigning to distract the giant bird by whacking it with his bo staff. "You okay?"

"Y... Yeah..." Kyle was starry eyed, something that made Ladybug sweat a little. "Wow... you're so cool..."

"Um... thank you?"

"Okay, that's it!" Chat Noir ducked under a patio umbrella as La Lechuza swiped at them, wrecking a building instead and sending most of the civilians inside it screaming their way out, debris bouncing off the umbrella as he cracked his knuckles. "Time to see what Plagg meant by  ** _CATACLYSM!"_**

As if in response to his cry, blackness seemed to radiate from his clawed gloves, something that made him grin. "Jackpot!"

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug put Kyle down gently before pulling their way back to the fight using their yoyo, gesturing to the telephone lines all around them. "The telephone lines!"

"Got it!" The cat superhero slid out from under La Lechuza, running towards the telephone poles on either side of the giant owl. "Hey, I just met you-" He touched one telephone pole before bounding over to the other side just before Cataclysm ran out. "And this is crazy-"

"I just wrecked some phone poles-" The two telephone poles, reacting to Cataclysm, began to break, something that La Lechuza noted immediately, the giant owl spreading his wings ready to take flight. "- so call me, maybe?"

"That was  _horrible_." Ladybug blanched.

Chat Noir shrugged. "I'll get better with time."

 _ **"LUCKY CHARM!"**_ Ladybug called out, tossing their yoyo in the air. Hearts seemed to erupt from the yoyo, swirling around the place, until finally an object popped out and landed in their arms. "... A hose?"

_There's a faucet nearby._

_The telephone lines are live wires._

_La Lechuza is a bird._

_Water will weight down his feathers._

_Electrocution won't hurt him too bad, he'll just be incapacitated._

_Got it!_

"I got it!" Ladybug ran over to the nearest faucet, which was currently being used by a gardener, and they turned it off momentarily, the gardener blinking as they switched out his hose for their black spotted red one before turning it on full blast, aiming for the giant owl. "Look out, kitty!"

Chat Noir glanced in their direction, and yowled before booking it out of there just as the spray hit La Lechuza full blast, the owl squawking as the telephone poles fell over on top of it, trapping them, as the wires that touched its feathers began to shock it every now and then.

As Ladybug approached the now incapacitated owl, Chat Noir swung by and held out a hand. They looked at it quizzically before Chat Noir clarified, "Live wires, my lady. I'll escort you over to the giant owl and perhaps we can figure out how to turn him back?"

"I think... we need to take off his baller. It's the only thing that doesn't fit his whole look," Pointing to the red baller around its talon, Ladybug accepted Chat Noir's help and gracefully glided over the live wires before tearing the baller off its talons - the owl screeching in dismay - before tearing it straight in half, a black butterfly emerging from it.

An akuma.

**_Time to purify it, Butters!_ **

_... Tikki...?_ Ladybug looked around before facing the akuma, a determined look crossing their face. Taking out their yoyo, they declared, "No more evildoing for you, little akuma- time to de-evilize!"

"So cool..." Chat Noir watched with stars in his eyes as his new partner captured the black butterfly with ease in their yoyo, pulling it back to them before opening it, revealing a now purified white butterfly, flying up into the Colorado sky.

Ladybug smiled gently as it disappeared into the cold mist. "Bye bye, li'l butterfly..." They looked around, pleased with their handiwork, before tossing the hose up in the air. _**"MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"**_

The hose exploded into bright red, and suddenly, like magic, the damages done to the town of South Park had been repaired. Chat Noir and Ladybug watched as the red magic swooped over and through most of the buildings and trees, repairing them, undoing the damage, until finally, it was like nothing had happened, save for the fact that the giant black owl that had been La Lechuza was now melting away, revealing a confused and lost David Rodriguez, his baller a few inches away from him, good as new and uncorrupted.

"What... just happened?" David asked, rubbing his head.

Ladybug and Chat Noir high fived before turning to him, the ladybug superhero kneeling down. "You just let your anger get the best of you, but it's all okay now. You're safe, David."

"..." David glanced around before nodding, smiling at the two superheroes gratefully. "T-thank you, then... um..."

"... Ladybug. It's Ladybug." Ladybug - Butters - smiled. "And this is my partner. Chat Noir."

-=-

**_"I don't believe it... they actually won!"_ **

Hawk Moth stamped their foot, startling the butterflies up and about again before they thought about it for a moment, the situation analyzing itself in their brain before they came to a conclusion, a sinister smile on their face.

**_"There's always a next time though. Always room for improvement. Now that I know that the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous are in use, I can finally get them..."_ **

**_"I'll get you Ladybug. Chat Noir. One of these days..."_ **

-=-

When they came back to school with Kyle and David in tow, a lot of people swarmed Kyle and his recordings of the whole event, especially Bebe and Wendy, who begged him to allow them to put the video on the school paper's blog. He obliged reluctantly, but was quite pleased to see that his recordings had been pretty clear.

For David, however, his greeting came in the form of Charlotte bounding up to him and throwing her arms around his neck, the basketball player taking a step backwards at the sudden weight. Her brother, Gary, laughed at his predicament from right behind her. "Whoa, e-easy there, Charlotte. I'm fine."

"No you were not, guy!" The Canadian argued, releasing him and bouncing up and down on the soles of her feet. "That huge owl creature, you were- it was so big- it was gonna eat CARTMAN and KYLE, guy- and- and-"

"Shhhh." David pressed a finger to Charlotte's lips, laughing as he ruffled her hair. "I'm fine now. Don't worry about me. And... um..." His ears turned a little pink. "About what Cartman said earlier..."

It was Charlotte's turn to press a finger to his lips, despite being shorter than him. "Shhh. Cartman didn't say  _anything,_ right?"

"What? But-"

"He didn't say anything. Riiiight, guy?"

Oh.  _Oh._ With a mischievous grin, David winked at her. "Right. He didn't say anything at all, did he?"

"Of course not, friend!" Charlotte grinned, and raised up a hand for a high five, which he returned immediately. "So hey, Gary and I were wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner tomorrow night if there isn't any homework..."

-=-

Somewhere else in the school, in different classrooms, Kenny and Butters slumped down in exhaustion, their Miraculouses finally giving in and beeping out, reverting them back to their former outfits as Plagg and Tikki emerged from the ring and earrings respectively.

"Wow, Butters, that was so amazing! I told you you would be the perfect Ladybug!" Tikki gushed, hugging his cheek and affectionately rubbing her face against his.

Butters laughed, still breathing heavily. "T-thanks, Tikki... but w-whoa... that was so tirin'... y'think we'll still have classes after this?"

"Not very likely, they made your schoolmates evacuate, didn't they?"

He fiddled with his earrings a little, a wistful smile on his face. "... Good. I wanna take a long nap at home after this. But... Tikki, what  _was_ that? The giant owl that was David- why did he turn into a giant owl?"

"That's Nooroo's power - give superpowers to others and make whoever has powers loyal to the one who has Nooroo's Miraculous," The ladybug kwami looked sad. "That means Nooroo's with a partner now - a partner who's using him for evil instead of good like you and Chat Noir are."

-=-

"But... why-"

"Your friend accepted these powers, that's why he turned into... La Lechuza? That giant owl," Plagg munched on the cheese Kenny had given him - it wasn't camembert, but it would do, he supposed - while floating in front of him, Kenny unzipping his parka to allow himself to cool off. "Nooroo operates strictly on free will, so-"

Kenny looked up. "David wouldn't consent to being turned into a giant ass bird."

"Not in the right state of mind, of course," Plagg agreed, swallowing the last of the cheese. "But since Nooroo's being used for evil purposes now, I'm willing to bet that whoever's in charge of his Miraculous noticed David's negative emotions and used it to their advantage, since if you use the Moth Miraculous for good, only good emotions will show up on Nooroo's 'radar' or whatever."

 _Right... Cartman had pissed him off beforehand..._ Kenny looked concerned as he stood up, stretching, the cat Miraculous glinting in the soft sunlight shining in through the closed windows. "Man... that Ladybug sure was something, huh?"

"Mm, sure, if you're into the whole 'secret identity' thing," The kwami replied nonchalantly before headbutting Kenny's cheek. "But hey, what can I do? That's your type, apparently."

"It is  _not!"_

"Sure, Mysterion."

Kenny stuck his tongue at him before checking the time on the wall clock of the classroom. "Well... looks like we won't be having any more classes today... let's go home, Plagg."

"You got any more cheese at home? Let's stop by the store first, c'mon."

"My allowance isn't until next Thursday, asshole!"

"Then get it advanced! I'm hungry!"

"PLAGG!"

-=-

"So that was Chat Noir, huh?" Tikki asked her partner cheekily. "What did you think of him?"

Butters rolled his eyes. "He made horrible jokes."

"I wasn't talking about that, silly!" Tikki giggled. "Though Chat Noirs seem to make horrible puns all the time - it must come with the costume or something, or Plagg is secretly projecting himself onto his partners."

"Who's Plagg?"

"The Cat Miraculous's kwami. Didn't I mention this before?"

"I can't remember..."

"Oh well, now I told you again, so don't forget!" The ladybug kwami laughed. "I was wondering... do you think that he's cute?"

Baby blues looked at her, offended. "I-I have a crush on someone else!"

"Nothing wrong with thinking Chat Noir's cute, Butters!"

"T-Tikki!"

The kwami laughed before cuddling his cheek again. "I'm kidding, Butters, I know you like that cute boy in that tattered orange parka," At her words, Butters puffed out his cheeks, pouting. "But you have to admit, Chat Noir is cute, isn't he?"

"I  _guess?"_ Butters couldn't lie, his new partner  _was_ cute, in an annoyingly endearing way. "Why are you so insistent on me admitting this, though?"

"Well..." Tikki did a backflip before answering. "If more of these akumatized people show up, then it's a guarantee you'll see Chat Noir more often, right? You'll have to get used to his face the way all the previous Ladybugs did, and admitting that he's cute will make everything much easier, right?"

He hated the fact that she had a point. "... Yeah, I guess you're right. I hope no more akuma show up, though. That was exhausting."

"The Ladybug before you was also a schoolkid, and they said something similar," Tikki offered kindly, flying up to pat Butters on the head gently. "You'll do fine."

"Hah, sure, Tikki, wh'ever you say," Butters rolled his eyes again before rubbing noses with the little kwami, even though she didn't look like she had one. He laughed. "Let's go home, Tikki. Mom n' Dad must be real worried."

 

_**~ End of CH.3: La Lechuza ~** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me clear this up: most of the kids never left south park despite episode shit, this is an AU, ok??
> 
> also, regarding charlotte and gary as siblings: i just want it to happen, i want a huge goddamn harrison family


	4. Redbull

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY  
> it took me forever to draw the art but i finished the chapter about a few days ago ngl

**_LADYBUG AND CHAT NOIR: SOUTH PARK'S NEW HEROES?_ **

**_by Kyle Broflovski_ **

**_Just a few days ago, the little town of South Park experienced quite the amount of 'fowl play' in the form of a giant black owl known only as La Lechuza. La Lechuza destroyed part of the school and major portions of the town, and even kidnapped yours truly, Kyle Broflovski, as a hostage, before mercilessly throwing me at a building. I had been ready to die, my resolved steeled, when suddenly, I had been rescued, by none other than a pair of masked heroes known as Ladybug and Chat Noir._ **

**_Who exactly ARE Ladybug and Chat Noir? The two superheroes showed up out of nowhere the moment La Lechuza soared onto the stage, one decked in black and another in bright red and black spots, and immediately went to work in defeating this large creature and restoring the town, saving me and another civilian, David Rodriguez, in the process._ **

**_All we can know for sure is that anything can happen in this redneck mountain town, and with these two new superheroes on the watch, we most likely can lie safe at night, knowing they're there to protect us. Go Ladybug! Go Chat Noir!_ **

-=-

When Butters (and Tikki) arrived at the bus stop the next day, everyone he knew had their eyes glued to their phones.

Standing in between six foot four Stan and five foot eight Kenny, the four foot eleven blond was completely dwarfed by his group of friends, with Kyle being five foot four and Eric also being five foot eight like Kenny. In truth, Butters was, unfortunately enough, the shortest of all his friends  _and_ batchmates, and if one were to look at Ike, Ruby, and Karen's generation, he was shorter than all of them as well, Karen beating him for shortest by half an inch.

Actually, now that he thought about it, even Gary's littlest sister, who was in  _first grade_ (or was it second? Third? Butters didn't remember) was a half inch taller than him. A  _half inch_.

It was, in many ways, infuriating to think about... if you weren't Butters Stotch. Butters just thought it was one of the many mysteries of life, so he didn't dwell on the depressing fact that he was quite possibly the shortest person in all of South Park at the age of fifteen.

"Good mornin', guys!" Butters greeted cheerfully.

Kyle looked up from his phone long enough to grace him with a smile. "Good morning, Butters. You look well rested."

"Eh..." Butters shrugged nonchalantly, mainly because he couldn't just _tell_ Kyle he had spent half the night staring at the ceiling, contemplating how he, small, always grounded Butters, had managed to do so many things that day as someone new. He had saved Kyle, he had saved David - he was a  _superhero._ He couldn't just tell Kyle he was Ladybug, learning the ropes.

He quite honestly felt Kyle would have a conniption fit if he found out that  _Butters_ was Ladybug anyway. He had looked at Butters as Ladybug with such awe that until now it made the blond's neck real warm.

"Butters was probably up all night readin' some faggy fanfics or somethin'," Eric grumbled, but Butters could see his eyes glimmered with a certain interest as he scrolled through his phone. "A lot like the girls, I'm bettin'."

Kyle gave Eric a smack upside the head at his remark. "Dude, don't."

"I'm just  _sayin',_ Kahl, it's a possibility. Didn't say it was fuckin' final,  _gahd."_ The boy rubbed the back of his head with a grumble. "Damn, that smarts, Jew."

"Not all the girls read fanfics, dude," Stan muttered, mostly to himself. A mitten wearing hand went into one of his pockets as he scrolled down his phone, lip curling as he continued to read. "... Kyle, dude, you seriously need to find a different elective to join."

Butters raised an eyebrow. "Isn't Kyle one of the kids on the journalism team?"

"With Wendy and Bebe, yeah," Kyle nodded before frowning at his Super Best Friend. "And dude, I can't switch electives now, all the other spots in other electives are taken! Besides, with Ladybug and Chat Noir now lurking around South Park, we'll finally have lots of  _really_ good news to report!"

Eric snorted. "Unlike last year."

"Unlike last year," Kyle conceded with a huff. "Last year's paper was a failure."

Kenny rolled his eyes. "Considering that the printing press ended up getting torched by a fire breathing seahorse I'd say it wouldn't have been a fail had it survived the thing."

"Well, it  _didn't,_ Kenny, and that's why Bebe and the others are trying to  _rebuild_ the school paper's dignified name."

Butters blinked. "Wait, why's the existence of Ladybug-"  _Hehehe._ "- and Chat Noir gonna give you lots of good news to report?"

"They're  _superheroes,_ Butters," The Jewish boy turned to face him, and Butters could see the excited glint in his eye as he grinned and took Butters's hands in his. "Superheroes  _always_ make the best news. Remember Mysterion?"

Kenny made no comment as Eric scowled. "The Coon was so much better."

"Yeah, yeah, blah blah blah, 'Civil War', that was years ago, get over it, Cartman," Stan rolled his eyes, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Besides..." He yawned, grumbling. "... Now that we have Ladybug and Chat Noir around, we won't need to do anything Coon and Friends related unless we're suddenly playing it again."

Butters, despite himself, stiffened, remembering his stint as Professor Chaos, but, as if sensing his discomfort, he felt Tikki's head bump against his palm as he let his hand brush against his bag, wordlessly reassuring him that yes, he was still worthy of the Ladybug Miraculous, he didn't need to fear his inner Professor Chaos taking over and letting his emotions run wild. This thought made a smile grace his face - one that Kenny didn't miss.

"What's got you all sunshiney, Leo?" Butters flushed crimson at Kenny's raised eyebrow, the shorter blond attempting to formulate a response, only for the taller one to place a hand on his shoulder and press a finger to his lips, shushing him. "Hey, calm down, shhh. I didn't ask you to recite the Declaration of Independence, Leo, geez. You okay?"

 " _Fags,"_ Cartman coughed into his scarf as the bus slowed to a stop in front of them. "Well, come on, losers, the bus is here."

Kyle lingered until it was Butters's turn to climb up the bus, but before he did so, he whispered something in his ear that made the Stotch boy burn up immensely.

_You are **so** obvious._

Despite himself, he thought he could hear Tikki giggling in his bag.

He shook the bag for good measure. Just in case.

-=-

The noise the kid had been making had been getting on Stan's nerves the  _whole_ lunch period.

Kenny could see his friend's grip on his bottle of Redbull - he didn't even  _know_ they sold the bottled shit in South Park, where the fuck did Stan get it? He only ever got the canned ones - tighten considerably as the voice of one of those kids whose names he never really remembered all that well wafted over to their table, loud and proud. Judging from the raccoon eyes, Stan hadn't gotten enough sleep again - and Kenny had an inkling as to why that was. They had been playing an MMO together late into the night yesterday with the mics on, and Kenny was fairly certain the screaming he was hearing wasn't coming from  _his_ parents.

He, Kevin, and Karen had moved out for a reason, after all.

"You okay, Stan?" Kyle asked in concern, placing a hand on his SBF's arm.

At his touch, Stan breathed in sharply - Plagg seemed to stop shuffling around Kenny's bag at that moment - before letting out a heavy sigh, his grip on the energy drink loosening as he slumped forward, almost knocking Jimmy's lunch off the table with how far his arms reached, but luckily enough Token was a fast reactor, swiping the tray up and above Stan's hands just as he stretched across the table, groaning. Jimmy gingerly plucked the sandwich from the tray before nibbling on it as Kyle proceeded to pat Stan's back, the taller boy still mumbling to himself.

"He hasn't been g-getting enough sleep, huh?" Tweek observed from his place beside Craig, normally shaky hands steady as he periodically sipped from his green thermos, coffee brown eyes gazing in concern as Craig cast a glance at the kid that was  _still_ talking rather loudly, eyes narrowing as their batchmate's voice continued to pierce what should have been a quiet lunch time (well as quiet as it could get in this school anyway, Kenny supposed).

Butters reached over to gingerly pat Stan's shoulder. "Y'know, you should really get some sleep, Stan - it ain't healthy, lookin' like a raccoon all the time! No offense, Eric."

"None taken," Eric grunted, sifting through his bag. From the table across from them, Charlotte lobbed an apple core at his head, and it bounced off his hat, the boy cursing as he yelled at her, "Fuckin' bitch! The fuck you throwin' apple cores for?!"

Craig intoned, "You did imply she and David would get married yesterday because they were both 'immigrants' and were 'made for each other'."

"So?! I meant that in good fun!" Another apple core went flying, but this time he deflected it with his now empty lunch tray, the core skidding to the ground next to Gary's foot. At the apple core's juices getting splattered on the edge of his pants, Gary blinked before giving his sister a shrug and picking up the apple core, tossing it over his shoulder in a perfect arc, the core sailing straight into the trash bin. Butters gawked at this display as Kenny, Eric, and Stan all scoffed, turning away, while Kyle flashed him a thumbs up. Gary smiled back and waved before Rebecca Cotswolds started tugging on his sleeve, making him face the rest of his table again.

Token took a bite out of his chicken before replying, "Well, either way, you got David to move to their table instead now. Thanks a lot, Cartman."

"Yeah, thanks a  _lot_." Kyle sulked at the loss of the presence of one of his good friends as Charlotte attempted to throw another apple core, only to have Gary actually reach over and grab her wrist, stopping her from doing so. Everyone who wasn't preoccupied glanced at him as he gave his sister a sunny smile, and strangely enough, Charlotte seemed to wilt, dropping the apple core back into her tray as she hurriedly turned to face David, chatting with him.

Kenny raised an eyebrow. "... Huh."

"Grk-!" Kyle immediately refocused on Stan as he hunched over, gripping the bottle even tighter - seriously, how  _hasn't_ he spilled the whole thing over himself yet? Kenny had no idea - and bracing it against the table, the other hand gripping the table with such force that it had begun to shake even worse than Tweek used to. "Dude! Dude, you should really go to the clinic-"

"I'm-" A dry heave. Even Eric looked up at the sound. "- I'm  _fine,_ Kyle."

"You are  _not_ fine, Stanley Marsh-!"

**_BRIIIIIIIIING!_ **

"Look, there's the-" Another dry heave. Stan stood up, stumbling a little as he did so, but thankfully enough both Kenny and Craig had responded fast enough, standing up to steady him on either side of him, Butters immediately volunteering himself and getting his bag. "There's the... bell... urk- thanks, guys... I can get myself to the classroom on my own-"

Tweek shook his head vehemently, reaching out to gingerly place a hand on Stan's chest as if to stop him. "L-Let us do this for you, okay, Stan? You're  _exhausted_ \- l-look at yourself, dude!"

"No I'm-" Stan's knees buckled, and Token had to surge forward to catch him, being one of the few remotely strong enough to catch one of the school's favorite sportsmen. "Ugh, thanks Token."

The rich boy sighed. "Stan, you're not okay. You're sleep deprived and quite frankly I'm surprised you're still coherent. If you won't go to the clinic, let us handle your stuff, okay?"

"But-"

"Stan." Kenny crossed his arms and stepped away, Clyde immediately rushing over and taking his place in supporting Stan. "Just let us do this for you. Just this once."

Stan's eyes met his briefly, and then, he sighed, bowing his head, conceding defeat.

Kyle sighed in relief.

-=-

"Marsh? Stanley Marsh?"

He was still asleep.

Butters debated on whether or not he should walk over to where Stan was seated and poke him, Tikki shifting in his bag, seemingly sensing his unease. He had woken Stan up in Physics class before, and had gotten a black eye for it because the boy had punched him in the face - completely by accident of course, Kyle had told him that Stan had a tendency to kick and punch when woken up violently or in the middle of a bad dream.

Still, the teacher looked  _really_ miffed Stan had decided to doze off in her class...

"STANLEY RANDALL MARSH!"

**_BONK!_ **

There went the chair in front of him. And Dogpoo - sorry,  _Dennis,_  Butters had almost forgotten the name had already been abandoned around seventh grade _-_ Petuski along with it.

"Dennis!" Annie Knitts immediately rushed over to help her fallen friend as Stan began to rouse himself from sleep, the leg he had used to kick Dennis's chair into the air returning into place as he tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes, to no avail. From his seat near the back, Kenny could see that his friend was  _still_ gripping the godforsaken Redbull bottle from lunch earlier that day, and  _Jesus Christ he looked horrible._

"Mr. Marsh, if you're just going to be snoozing all day in my class, then I think it'd be best if you marched down to PC Principal's office instead!" Stan flinched at the teacher's harsh tone, but otherwise didn't respond as he quietly stood up, wobbling slightly as he did so, the bottle of Redbull still in his hands. Token made a move to get it and put it along with Stan's things, but when Stan turned to affix a look on him, he stopped, returning to his place.

Everyone in the class stared at him in concern as he slowly walked out towards the door, and on the way, Wendy placed a hand on his arm, violet eyes filled with concern at her ex slash one of her best friends, who didn't seem to notice as he continued on. Kyle, who was seated across from Wendy, had done the same to Stan's other arm, but had also gotten no response, and the moment he passed their aisle, they shared a look, both of them equally worried for their friend.

"Oh... Tikki..." Butters mumbled, reaching into his lunchbag to pull out a cookie and sneak it into Tikki's waiting arms in his bag. "... I've got a bad feeling..."

Tweek, who had been sitting near the front of the class, watched quietly as Stan passed by in front of him, and, despite himself, managed to catch a whiff of the scent attached to his friend, which was usually the smell of sweat and mint. This time, however, there was a certain scent mixed in with it, and Tweek initially identified it as the scent of Redbull. However, he focused in on the smell a little more, and reeled back in alarm when he realized something was off about the scent - which he knew had come from Stan's breath itself.

It didn't smell like  _just_ Redbull: it smelled like Redbull and vodka.

-=-

" ** _Ah, sleep deprivation due to home life- it can either make or break a man, and in this case, it's already shattered him further than thought possible."_**

Hawk Moth, sitting in the middle of all the white butterflies once more, held out a hand, and a white butterfly perched on their palm. Just like before, their other hand covered the butterfly, and, through the power of their Miraculous, the butterfly became infused with a strange, dark energy.  _ **"Alcohol never helps those with family problems, this I know very well... but it certainly is helping me right now."**_

Hawk Moth cupped their hands together and blew gently at the now black butterfly, the insect flying above and away from them. " ** _Fly, my little akuma, and evilize him!"_**

-=-

As Stan walked towards PC Principal's office, he shoved a hand into his pocket, the other one still gripping the bottle of Redbull tightly. With a weak scowl, he drank a little more of the Redbull - he had swiped it from Randy's bottles, thinking it to be just Redbull, when in reality Randy had mixed in vodka with it for himself - and coughed, still miffed at the teacher's dismissal of him from the class. Thank God for Token being his seatmate though - he knew Token would take care of his bag in case he didn't make it back in time for the next class.

Hanging his head as he walked, the black butterfly landed on the bottle of Redbull, and instantly, there was a voice calling out to him.

**_"Redbull."_ **

Stan lifted his head, a white butterfly outline appearing in front of his face as Hawk Moth communicated with him.

 ** _"I give you the power to let all your problems go up in flames. Let the bull's stability be YOUR stability - let it give you the wings that will let you SOAR."_** Hawk Moth grinned cattily. As they spoke, Stan stood up, allowing himself to get engulfed in the darkness that bubbled up from the bottle of Redbull in his hand. " ** _I_ _n return, you must do me a favor and bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous. Do you understand?"_**

The darkness faded away, and the butterfly outline remained, hovering in front of a now masked Stan Marsh - Redbull. Despite the bright red bull mask he wore, Hawk Moth could tell he was grinning darkly.

 

"Let's light 'em up."

-=-

"You okay, Kyle?"

The Jewish boy looked up at the hand being placed on his shoulder, emerald eyes meeting the violet ones of a certain Wendy Testaburger, who smiled kindly at him as she held out a binder, many sticky notes peeking out from most of the pages. Kyle looked at it curiously as their schoolmates began returning their books to their lockers in preparation for the next class. "What's this, Wendy?"

"Notes from class earlier. I noticed you were trying to take down notes too, but I could tell what you were  _really_ thinking about." Kyle's eyes widened at her words, and she chuckled before frowning a little. "Don't be embarrassed. I'm worried about Stan too, you know. Have his parents been fighting still?"

Kyle nodded rather bleakly. "Kinda hard to miss the screaming sometimes at night. Mom has me and Ike shutting the windows now just so we can get some sleep."

"Oh, Stan..." Wendy sighed as Kyle took the binder into his hands, slipping it into his bag while adjusting Stan's bag on his other shoulder. "I haven't gotten around to hanging out with him again ever since our breakup - is he mad at me?"

Kyle stared at her before laughing. "Wendy, he could  _never_ be mad at you, trust me. And if he was I'd knock some sense into him - before you guys dated, you guys were friends, and even after multiple breakups you guys are  _still_ friends. Now  _that's_ solidarity right there." He raised a fist - awkwardly, since he  _was_ still balancing two bags on his shoulders - , offering a fistbump. "Like, I bet if you were a guy and I was the constant ex, you'd be the Kyle. Er, I mean, the SBF."

"Are you saying that to make me feel better or because of your crush on your best friend?" Wendy teased, crossing her arms and smirking. Kyle flushed as red as his hair at her words, and she giggled.

Just then, something exploded.

"J-J-JESUS CHRIST!" Tweek yelped, immediately jumping and clinging to the nearest person like a koala - which, fortunately, happened to be Token.

Clyde's brow furrowed. "What was  _that?!_ "

"Suh-s-somebody must have gotten into shit in the science lab ag-g-guh-again," Jimmy guessed, hobbling closer to Craig as he did so. "Wonder if it was Ruh-R-Rebecca?"

Craig glanced at him. "Why would you guess that it'd be Rebecca Cotswolds of all people?"

"... Ruh-right, you weren't around for the fragrance incident."

" _What_ fragrance incident?!"

Another explosion.

 _That_ was when the smoke sensors began to go off, and that was when the smell of burning wood and paper began wafting into the noses of many of the students in the hallway.

Butters was tense. _A fire? How did a fire-_

"FIRE!"

"OH G-GOD, A FIRE!"

"JESUS CHRIST!"

"I'M TOO HOT TO DIE BY FIRE!"

"WHAT THE FUCK DUDE SHUT UP AND RUN AWAY!"

 _That_ was when he finally rounded the corner.

Those who had chosen to remain still instead of running away - Craig's group of friends, Kyle, Kenny, Eric, Butters, and Wendy - witnessed the arrival of the red and blue clad supervillain, who was juggling three bottles of what looked like Redbull - or were they bottles of wine? Butters couldn't really tell from this angle - as he stared impassively at their group, blue eyes peering through the holes in his red bull mask, the black horns pointed menacingly at the ceiling.

_(Mentally Butters thought that the bright red mask and costume made him look like the mascot for The Laughing Cow, but that wasn't the point. The Laughing Cow had white horns - this guy had black horns - which meant they were **completely different people**. Er,  **animals.**_

_Stop laughing internally, Butters, darn it!)_

"What the fuck...?" Kenny echoed everyone's thoughts as the fire that seemed to follow the mask wearing boy curled around his legs but didn't seem to harm him, the flames licking at his heels as he took step after step forward, closer to the group, while the group inched step after step in the  _other_ direction, until finally, a teacher arrived - coincidentally, it had been the Physics teacher that had sent Stan out.

Kenny could've sworn he saw the masked character's gaze darken at her appearance.

"What are you children still doing here?! There's an evacuation ongoing!" She turned to the red clad boy, scowling. "And you! What are you doing playing with Molotov cocktails in school?! Keep your science experiments and dillydallying at home, you mask wearing miscreant!"

"SHUT UP!" The boy snarled, spitting on the cap and tossing one of the bottles he had been juggling at the teacher. "NOBODY CAN SLEEP WITH YOUR GODDAMN RACKET!"

Everyone  _screamed_ and scattered, Craig's gang taking the hint and running out to safety with the rest of the school while the others remained, the teacher being unable to do so before the Molotov hit her in the face, engulfing her in flames. The others could only stare as the Molotov's fire consumed their teacher, and she went up in flames, though strangely enough, she wasn't screaming, nor did she leave any ashes behind when the flames died down and the bottle reassembled after a few minutes, flying back into the masked boy's hands as he continued to juggle the bottles. It was like...

"... she disappeared into the flames..." Kenny swore, a finger brushing over his Miraculous. Butters, looking around, seeing that nobody was looking, sneaked off to transform, while Kenny clenched his fist, staring at where the Physics teacher had once stood.  _Where did she...?_

The sound of a yoyo whizzing over their heads soon resounded, and with a mighty leap, Ladybug jumped into the fray, snagging one of Redbull's bottles and bringing it over to them, swinging the bottle around like a baton as they said, "Didn't your parents ever teach you not to play with fire?"

"My father wouldn't have given much of a fuck," The masked character muttered before spitting on and lobbing the other bottle at the ladybug superhero, the superhero ducking out of the way just as the Molotov burst into flames. Kenny ducked out of the way as the Molotov they had been holding flew into the air and detonated in midair as well, and both shattered bottles reassembled within a minute and returned to the boy, who looked ready to explode them again.

"Wait, I know that voice-  _STAN?!"_ Kyle goggled, recognizing his friend's voice despite the mask muffling it. "Stan, is th- is that YOU?!"

"My name is  _Redbull,_ and you need to shut up too!" Kyle paled as Redbull deigned to throw another bottle in his direction. "Your stupid speeches keep  _everyone_ awake!"

"Hey, don't  _have a cow,_ Laughing Cow reject, I know his speeches are loud, but they at least mean something!"

Ladybug looked up.

Chat Noir had just arrived.

"You civilians should probably get going, y'know?" Chat Noir glanced at the people still remaining. "Before he gets a whole lot more  _fired_ up."

Ladybug rolled their eyes as she began spinning her yoyo around quickly. "Are you going to make puns the whole time or are you going to help me deal with the mascot for Laughing Cow?"

"Aw, you love me, my lady." With a catty grin, he pressed the paw print on the metal cylinder that was now attached to what looked like a holster and transformed it into a bo staff again before using it to lift himself up and away from the flames, heading straight for Redbull. "Alright, you, cat against bull! Let's do this!"

-=-

"Kyle, come on!" Wendy tugged on Kyle's sleeve hurriedly. "We have to go!"

The emerald eyed boy, however, was still gazing at Redbull, the stare he was giving the masked supervillain heartbreaking as Redbull spat on one of his bottles and threw it at Chat Noir again, the cat boy dodging it with a deft sidestep, momentarily digging his claws into one of the lockers before leaping at him again, the Molotov-wielding boy moving away just in time for Chat Noir to fly face first into the locker. With a yowl of pain, he scrambled up on top of the lockers as Ladybug attempted to wrestle one of the Molotovs he was juggling away with her yoyo, to no avail, since he kept pulling the same trick he did earlier: throw another Molotov and explode both to have them reassemble in his hands again.

"Stan..." Kyle whispered.

Wendy was quickly becoming both irritated and worried for Kyle's safety, her brow furrowing as she shoved her arms underneath his armpits and began to haul him off. "Come ON, BROFLOVSKI!"

"Wendy... Wendy, we can't go, that's Stan there!" The ushanka wearing boy dug his heels into the floor the best he could as Redbull slammed Chat Noir into the nearest locker. "That... that weird guy in the bull mask-"

"I  _know_ it's Stan!" The girl snapped. "But Kyle, there's something wrong with Stan right now, we need to  _go!"_

"But-"

_**"NOW!"** _

She hauled him off without another word.

-=-

Meanwhile, Chat Noir just went flying out the window.

"CHAT NOIR!" Ladybug called out in worry, running to the window he had been thrown out of and peering down at him, only for Redbull to push them away and dive straight down at him, hurtling straight for the ground. The hero choked on their own spit as they yelled, "LOOK OUT!"

"Cats always land on their paws, mila-" The boy looked up, and yowled before booking it, only for something to burst out from the back of the mask wearing supervillain.

Something large, red, and  _translucent._

Chat Noir swore. Loudly.

"... Are those..." Ladybug's eyes narrowed.

"WINGS! MOTHERFUCKING WINGS!" The catlike hero hollered into the air as Redbull swooped up into the sky and began chucking his bottles at him, taking minute intervals to allow the Molotovs to reassemble and return to him as he did so. Chat Noir ducked and dodged with his bo staff and deflected some of the thrown bottles as he continued to curse, "GOD FUCKING DAMMIT! WHOEVER THOUGHT GIVING BULL BOY HERE FUCKING  _WINGS_ IS A MOTHERFUCKING  _ **GENIUS!**_ HOLY SHIT! REDBULL GIVES YOU _WINGS!_ HOLY  ** _FUCKING_** SHIT, JESUS CHRIST!"

Ladybug raised an eyebrow before throwing their yoyo at the nearest pole and pulling theirself over, back-flipping and making a graceful landing before running over to where Chat Noir was currently defending against the onslaught of Molotovs, the flames licking at each of their heels and at the snow-covered ground around them, the snow rapidly melting as the fires continued to spread, unhindered. The students of the school and the staff had long since evacuated, so the school was virtually empty, save for the four Goth kids, who were sitting in their usual spot, just watching the battle unfold.

"..." Michael took a drag of his cigarette. "They're still messaging us to leave school and 'evacuate', you know."

Pete had his phone out as he tossed his hair, scrolling down. "I'm going home in about a few minutes, anyway, but dude, your cousin's messaging you too."

"His Asian girl cousin?" Firkle raised an eyebrow.

The tallest Goth kid swore in Korean before taking the phone from his companion, the three other Goths looking at each other at the sudden burst of Korean from their friend. A few button presses later, and Michael soon had the phone pressed to his ear, and soon, he was speaking in straight Korean, baffling the rest of them.

" _Jeoneun gwenchansumnida..._ yeah, yeah..." Michael grumbled into the phone, only to put it away from his ear as screaming suddenly blasted from the speakers. " _Aaaah, yesu geuliseudo... nan jib-e ganda, imi jinjeong_ _!_ " More screaming. " _Naneun geugeos-eul eod-eul! Nae eongdeong-i leul idong hagoiss-eo, dagchyeo!_ " He turned off the phone and dropped it in Pete's hands, taking another drag before sighing into the cool air.

Henrietta shook her head. "No matter what happens, that will  _never_ fail to make me fucking confused."

"Rue getting on your ass again?" Pete guessed.

Michael sighed. "Her mom and my mom are threatening to throw all her art shit out the window if I don't get home. As much as I love saying 'fuck you' to my mom, I'm going to have Asian girls on my ass forever if she loses her art shit, so I gotta go."

"You're whipped." Firkle rolled his eyes.

Henrietta scoffed. "That only applies to people who're in love, stupid. Rue's his cousin."

"Don't pretend he _doesn't_ spoil her, though."

"Cut him some slack, at least he isn't related to  _all six_ of the main Asian girls."

The curly haired goth groaned before standing up, dropping the cigarette and stomping it out into the snow. "Whatever. See you guys, unless Rue's somehow sacrificed me to Lovecraftian monstrosities, in which case you should follow after me and we should all get sacrificed together."

"Bye Michael."

"Bye."

"See ya."

Suddenly, Michael's feet were not touching the ground.

"UNHAND HIM- er, un-hoof? WHATEVER!" With a yell, Ladybug threw their yoyo at Redbull, who had stolen Michael away and was now lifting him up by the arms, the tallest Goth yelling in protest as he struggled in vain while the ground was still relatively close by. Chat Noir clambered up the school roof, trying to tackle Redbull down, and with a growl, the superhero leaped on top of him, clinging to the frantically beating wings.

"GET OFF ME!" Redbull roared, trying to shake him off.

**_"Redbull, his Miraculous! It's on his finger, take it before you drop him!"_ **

"Oh no you don't!" Ladybug's yoyo wrapped around one of Redbull's ankles, and with a yank, Michael, Chat Noir, and Redbull all went tumbling down to the ground, Henrietta and Pete immediately rushing over to get the curly haired boy away just as Redbull snarled and threw yet another Molotov in Ladybug's direction, the hero only barely missing it by tumbling out of the way and bouncing off against the nearest wall, lunging at him as they retrieved their yoyo, only to be clocked in the face with one bottle, sending them flying.

Chat Noir snarled. "C'mon,  _pal,_ don't  _bottle it all up!_ Share some of your  _bullshit_ with your friendly neighborhood Chat Noir, won'tcha?" With a boost from his bo staff, Chat Noir leapt at Redbull, who was trying to ascend once again, but Ladybug's yoyo kept him in place. He batted Chat Noir away with a fist, but this time, Chat Noir was ready, yelling, " ** _CATACLYSM!"_** as he skid across the quickly melting snow, drawing his claws against the nearest tall structure, which happened to be the flagpole.

Said flagpole's base went crumbling, and it soon bonked Redbull straight on the head.

Redbull and Michael went tumbling.

" ** _LUCKY CHARM!"_** Ladybug yelled, the yoyo being tossed up in the air again.

It came back down with a new object in tow.

"... What the hell?" Brows furrowed, they held up the ladybug colored object. "What am I gonna use a net for beside catching them?" Looking around, the superhero tried to analyze the surroundings as fast as they could, and suddenly, just like before, it came to them.

_String the net up high so that it catches both of them, but makes them bounce around first._

_There's a tree nearby and the remains of the flagpole can work for tying it to something steady._

_Get Chat Noir to catch Michael in his arms during one of the bounces._

_React fast enough to tie the net ends together with the yoyo's string._

_Got it!_

"CHAT NOIR!" Ladybug hollered, tossing one of the net ends to their partner, who caught it with ease. "String that side up that tree over there!"

He saluted before bounding over towards the tree, clearing the distance from the ground to the branch with an effortless leap - with a little help from the tree's trunk -, landing on the branch and tying it up quickly as Ladybug pulled theirself over to the destroyed flagpole, tying the other end to the remains. It worked like a charm - both Redbull and Michael went hurtling down into the outstretched net, only to bounce back up again.

Michael began swearing up a storm in Korean with each bounce, Redbull unable to regain his bearings due to the fact that the flagpole essentially giving him a concussion and the consistent bouncing via net wasn't really helping. At one point, however, Chat Noir leaped across the net, catching the Goth in his arms, before tumbling down to the ground, both of them rolling on the slightly burnt grass as the other Goths came over, presumably to check on their friend. As Chat Noir picked himself up, Henrietta gave him a wordless 'thank you' before effortlessly picking Michael up - surprising both the hero and her two friends. At their amazed expressions, the only female Goth kid rolled her eyes before making her way out and away from the school, the other two Goths following after her, still baffled.

Redbull remained incapacitated in the net, however - leaving him open to Ladybug's plan.

With a toss of their yoyo, Ladybug managed to hook both ends of the net together and knot it deftly, leaving Redbull essentially hogtied and on the ground, their wings folded rather awkwardly, the only thing intact being a single Molotov out of the three he had been juggling previously, which they fished out of the net easily enough, much to the villain's cries of protest.

"If this Redbull guy is Stan, then that means the akuma must be in here..." With a determined look, they smashed the bottle against the ground, and from the shattered remains, a black butterfly emerged, which they captured with their yoyo. "No more evildoing for you, little akuma - time to de-evilize!"

Just like before, from the yoyo emerged a newly purified white butterfly, flying off into the cold air. Ladybug's smile was gentle as they watched it fly away. "Bye bye little butterfly..." They tugged on the net, releasing Redbull onto the snow, and soon, the net went flying into the air. " ** _MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!_ "**

The net dissipated into red magic once more, and just like before, the surroundings were repaired, all damages reversed. All the burnt up objects were restored to their original states, and all the structures broken during the attack were repaired and rebuilt. As such, Redbull melted away, leaving only the hunched over body of one Stan Marsh, who sat up in confusion as he looked around, the Redbull bottle restored to its original state.

"Good job, milady!" Chat Noir greeted, sliding down from the tree to give his partner a high five. "That was quite the maneuver! _Purr-fectly_ played, in fact. But... how did you know it'd be in the bottle?"

Ladybug glanced down at Stan, who still looked rather confused as to why he was suddenly out and on his ass in the grass. "Remember La Lechuza? The black butterfly... the akuma that made David like that was in the baller Charlotte gave him. The only thing on Stan that was also on Redbull's person was a bottle - the Redbull bottle." They shrugged. "It... made perfect sense at the time?"

"So smart  _and_ so pretty - will my lady ever cease being a wonder?" The catlike superhero winked, and Ladybug rolled their eyes, just as both his ring and their earrings beeped, signalling the end of their transformation. At the simultaneous sound, they looked at each other, then at their Miraculous - though in this case Ladybug just  _attempted_ to - , before running away from each other to detransform, leaving Stan alone and confused.

"... What the heck just happened?"

-=-

" ** _Not again... NOT AGAIN!"_**

Hawk Moth sank to their knees, startling the butterflies all around them into flying up a little, fluttering back into place as Hawk Moth hissed, glaring at the floor as they released their transformation, revealing the original person they were before they were the Moth Miraculous holder. Nooroo went out of the Miraculous as they did so, and cautiously attempted to approach, small lilac wings fluttering as they did so.

"I told you... using the Miraculous for evil never works..." Nooroo tried to reason.

The person continued to burn holes through the floor with their gaze. "It's not for evil... I just want my family back together... is that evil, Nooroo?"

"Well... no..."  _But the way you're doing it IS..._

"Then I won't stop. Until I get my family back together again..." They brushed their fingers against the brooch on their jacket before sighing. "... Come on Nooroo. We have to get back home before sundown, or they'll get worried."

_They'd be more worried if they found out what you've been doing..._

_Oh dear..._

-=-

Unlike yesterday, with La Lechuza, the Redbull incident wasn't as documented.

Bebe, while initially pissed that there weren't many accounts of what had happened in detail for the blog, was quite pleased when she found out that Michael had been directly involved in the akuma attack, and had proceeded to hound him all day about it, despite the Goth kids trying to scare her off. In the end he ended up giving in to an interview, and the blonde had jumped for joy and proceeded to embrace him, garnering scowls from all three Goths before she left.

An anonymous tip told the people running the blog that Stan - who they knew had been Redbull - had  _no idea_ what he had been doing as the supervillain, so asking him any questions would be useless, but many of the younger years went up to him anyway, questioning him about how to make Molotovs and why he started setting fire to the school.

It took Eric's blackmail and Token's money to get them off his ass for a while, but in the end, it was his sister Shelly's intervention that stopped their continuous hounding.

"Jesus, they just won't quit!" Shelly scowled as she looked out the window in Stan's room, eyeing the younger kids trying to get into the Marsh residence. Sharon shooed them away, but they kept on coming back. "Little turds need to stop fucking bothering Mom and making her let them in, I swear to God..."

Stan groaned, smothering his face with a pillow. The Redbull bottle that had caused his akumatization was currently in the waste basket, abandoned. "Ugh... this is all my fault."

"It definitely it, turd," His sister agreed before balling up a fist and showing it to the kids outside the window who could see her. They immediately scattered at the sight. "But it's also not your fault."

Her brother raised an eyebrow before lifting his head up from the pillow. "What do you mean?"

"I read the Ladyblog, stupid," Shelly pulled out her phone and tapped on the screen before showing it to him, revealing the school paper's blog, now renamed the  _Ladyblog_ \- what had once been just school news had become a blog dedicated to Ladybug. "Some anonymous guy said you didn't know what you were doing as that Laughing Cow reject."

Stan flopped face first into the pillow again. "Ugh, Laughing Cow reject... Cartman's never going to let me live it down."

"He helped keep those asshole kids away from you though, didn't he?"

He remained silent.

Shelly sighed, and scooted over closer to where her brother was still lying down on his bed. With the headgear and braces now gone, Shelly was a lot less temperamental, but still occasionally threw things at Stan sometimes - he could take them, of course, he wasn't a football player now for nothing. Still, she had her moments, and this was one of them.

"Listen here, you little shit. Don't let assholes like those kids get to you." Shelly prodded his back with a finger. "Own the fact that you were Redbull. Own it that for once in your life you were a badass supervillain wielding Molotovs."

Stan flipped over and hit her with one of his pillows. "Wow, gee, fucking  _thanks,_ Shelly. That's  _very_ motivational."

"I'm serious! You may not have known the shit you did, but you gotta admit, it was pretty fucking awesome in a fucked up sort of way."

"Only  _you_ would think about this that way. What if it had been  _you_ who became a supervillain?!"

"Then I would've owned up to the things I did that I wasn't aware of, take credit for my awesome powers, and thank Ladybug and Chat Noir for saving me from the hell that was myself."

"... Still."

Ice blue eyes glanced up at the ceiling as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oy."

"Shelly!"

"Look..." She put a hand on his shoulder, and he flinched for a moment, thinking she'd punch him. Once he was sure she wouldn't, he calmed down somewhat, but was still a little on edge. "I'm giving you advice, which is a once in a lifetime occurrence-"

Stan snorted. "Obviously."

"-I'm trying to give a pep talk here, goddammit," Shelly groaned before tapping the side of his head with her fist. "Just... take this all in stride. It won't happen again, right?" Stan stared at her. "... It won't happen again because you're not gonna  _let_ it happen again, right?"

Silence.

She shoved him off the bed. " _Right,_ Stan?"

"Jesus, Shelly!" Stan yelped as he made contact with the floor. Rolling so that he was lying on his back, he sat up and gave her a dirty look, the older girl giving him an unimpressed look as he clambered back onto the bed, though this time he was upright. He sighed, and hung his head. "... I dunno. It could happen again."

Shelly shoved him again, but not hard enough to knock him off the bed this time. "No turd brother of mine is  _going_ to let it happen again. You know why?"

"Because I like having a not sore shoulder?"

"Because you're  _my_ turd brother." Shelly smirked, grabbing Stan's hat from off his bedside table and jamming it on his head and over his eyes, eliciting a groan of protest from him. "You've survived this long as my brother - you'll be able to fight off some tiny ass butterfly that tries to take over your mind, right?"

The boy paused in adjusting his hat, and looked up to meet his sister's eyes. Despite being at least a year older, he was just as tall, if not taller, than his big sister, so it wasn't quite as jarring to meet her eyes, his ocean blues colliding with her ice blue ones. He could see that, despite the fact that she was basically glaring holes through him, she genuinely believed in what she had just said, and just the thought of that made him smile, at least a little.

Shelly believed he was strong enough to fight off an akuma.

"... Thanks, Shelly."

"You're my little brother. There's no need to thank me - I'd rather have a turd than a mopey turd."

Stan looked down for a bit, not saying anything, until he felt something on his back. He glanced at his sister, who was patting it while giving him what looked like to be her attempt at a wink. It was so uncharacteristic of her that it looked rather odd on her face, but the fact that she was even trying for him made Stan feel what could only be described as a warm feeling - one you only got when you were in the presence of someone who cared about you.

"You're gonna go far, turd. I believe in you."

At her words, Stan smiled.

 

_**~ End of CH.4: Redbull ~** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cartman in this fanfic is so fucking mellow compared to the real cartman?? i hate myself
> 
> most of this korean is google translate?? help me out you guys  
> \- jeoneun gwenchansumnida - I'm okay!  
> \- yesu geuliseudo - Jesus Christ  
> \- nan jib-e ganda, imi jinjeong! - I'll go home, relax already  
> \- Naneun geugeos-eul eod-eul! Nae eongdeong-i leul idong hagoiss-eo, dagchyeo! - I get it! I'm moving my ass, shut up!


	5. Fleur de Leech

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a long time : ' )
> 
> anyway i've decided not to draw for this consistently - just when i feel like it - because i have real life : ' )
> 
> i don't know why this got so long - maybe to make up for how long i didnt update

Butters supposed he should have expected it, really.

"Butters, hurry, you're going to miss the bus!"

But then again, he hadn't really expected to become a ladybug themed superhero only a few days ago.

"I-I'm comin', Tikki! J-Just hol' on!"

The ladybug kwami floated uncertainly in the air as her partner scrambled to throw his book and notebooks into his bag and zip up his sweater all at the same time, his rather short arms struggling to pull the zipper up and stuff the notebooks down into the bag all at once. With a sigh, Tikki flew over and zipped it up for him as he finally went and zipped his bag closed and threw the flap over it, and Butters smiled gratefully, only for his father's voice to come booming from the downstairs.

"BUTTERS! YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES UNTIL THE BUS LEAVES YOU, YOUNG MAN! GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!"

"I-I'm comin', Dad! C'mon, Tikki!"

The kwami smiled and patted his cheek before zipping down and wiggling her way into Butters's bag, just as Linda Stotch entered the room, looking rather concerned. "Butters? The bus is leaving in a few minutes. You'd better hurry."

"I-I know, Mom. Thank you!" Butters jogged up to his mother and pecked her cheek before dashing down the stairs and past his father, who sighed as he took a sip from his coffee cup while ascending the stairs, Butters hollering, "B-BYE DAD! BYE MOM!" before slamming the front door behind him and practically bounding towards the bus stop. Linda met her husband halfway down the stairs, and with a shared look of amused exasperation, continued on with their day.

Just another ordinary day.

-=-

_"And so, class, the fact that there was an ancient guardian for these flowers were blah blah blah for the blah of the blah blaaah blaaaaah..."_

One minute before the end of biology class, Clyde Donovan's head hit his desk with a thump as he snored. Loudly.

Kenny stuffed his fist in his mouth to stop himself from snorting as the teacher - Mrs. Fenton - seemed not to notice, though she did stop playing around with the ancient flowers she had brought to class as an example for the lesson. Apparently those flowers were both beautiful and deadly - what were they called again? Kenny couldn't remember, though they  _were_ pretty -, because Mrs. Fenton seemed to handle them with gloves all the time.

Clyde's lab partner, Nichole Daniels, sighed drearily as she glanced at her long term boyfriend, Token Black, who only shook his head and smiled apologetically on Clyde's behalf from his seat next to Bebe Stevens, Clyde's own girlfriend. The blonde seemed preoccupied with taking down notes while simultaneously keeping track of the traffic on the Ladyblog - a feat attributed only to her, being quite the multitasker. Kenny admired her ability to multitask yet still be one of the top students in their batch, making it to top seven, surpassing Kevin and Esther Stoley - who shared top 8 and refused to have it split into 8.5 and 8.5 -, Mark Cotswolds in top nine, and Estella Havesham in top ten.

"Clyde..." Nichole tried, gently shoving his shoulder. "Clyde, wake up, come on, it's one minute to the bell..."

"Fivemoreminutesmama..." was Clyde's only response, frowning in his sleep.

Nichole looked helplessly towards Token again, only for Mrs. Fenton to face the class, announcing, "Alright, class, your homework for tomorrow requires you and your partner to find a specimen reflecting similar qualities to that of the  _sangsue de fleur_ , alright? It need not be as dangerous, but an important factor you must look for is the capability of 'leeching' the life from hosts."

"You mean like parasites?" Kyle's hands shot up as he asked the question.

Mrs. Fenton nodded. "Exactly, mister Broflovski, thank you for that question. Similar to parasites, though in this case, it is not the food being stolen, it is the life source itself, though, however, if you can manage to obtain various forms of mistletoe or dodder, that will suffice as examples for our next lesson. You are all dismissed, and do wake up mister Donovan, miss Daniels, he might end up staying overnight."

Clyde seemed to hear that quip in his sleep, because the moment Nichole shoved his shoulder, his eyes flew open and he sat up immediately, ears tinting red, before rushing out of the classroom after the others who had already left, leaving Nichole to sigh as she bent down and gathered her notebooks and papers alone, Token having already gone ahead to make sure Clyde didn't trip and fall down the stairs due to humiliation. Bebe had gone over to the library with Kyle and Wendy to discuss the school paper already, so that left Kenny and Mrs. Fenton - who was arranging her own things - in the room with her.

Feeling sorry for her, the blond approached and gathered all her writing implements - which included her various colored highlighters and her flower topped pen - in one hand, holding it out to her as she looked up from placing her notebooks into her bag. "Here."

"... Thanks, Kenny," Nichole smiled as she took them from him, placing them in her pink pencilcase before dropping it into her bag and zipping it up, threading her arms through the straps and pulling it close to her back, standing up straight. "You're a good guy."

Kenny flashed her a charming smile, which normally made girls giggle at the sight of it. Since Nichole was a very good friend, however, she only rolled her eyes at it, just as Mrs. Fenton called, "Mister McCormick, miss Daniels? May I have a word with you both?"

"A'ight, Mrs. F!"

"Ah, y-yes, Mrs. Fenton!"

The two went up to the front of the room - after Kenny had snagged his bag with Plagg in it - to where the raven haired teacher was standing, examining the  _sangsue de fleur_ intently from under its glass dome of a container. When she noticed that they had already come closer, she straightened up and adjusted her glasses. "Might I ask the two of you for a favor?"

"Uh, sure, Mrs. F," Kenny scratched the back of his neck hesitantly; he was supposed to pick up Karen's things from the Tucker house after school, seeing as that she had slept over with Ruby, Ike, and Firkle for a project the night before and wouldn't have been able to bring all her things to school with her. "But uh, what is it? I kinda have somewhere to go after school..."

"Oh, you can go on ahead, Kenny, I think I can handle this," Nichole told him kindly, smiling.

Mrs. Fenton's smile was faint. "Well, I suppose it  _could_ be done by just one student, but... are you sure, miss Daniels? It's rather important."

"I'm sure, Mrs. Fenton."

"Well, then..." She gestured to the plant on her desk. "The  _sangsue de fleur_ needs to get back to my greenhouse unharmed before 10pm, and I can't get home until eleven, since my husband has been asked to see to some paranormal activity in a town that's at least two states away from here, and I'm essentially the one looking out for him while he does so. Would you be kind enough to bring it around to my house? I know your house is only a block away from mine."

Nichole glanced at the  _sangsue de fleur_ before nodding. "Yes, I... I think I can do that, Mrs. Fenton! Don't worry about me! I'll just call up my mom and tell her."

"Then that's settled. Thank you, dear," Mrs. Fenton nodded to Kenny as well. "And to you too, Mr. McCormick, for offering your help despite your obligations. I'll note your helpfulness in my record book."

Kenny held up a hand. "It's not necessary, Mrs. F, but it wouldn't hurt..." As Nichole took the covered plant in her hands, he asked, "What's so unique about the  _sangsue de fleur_ anyway, Mrs. F? I mean, I know you talked about it a lot earlier, but..." Kenny somehow made a motion that allowed both Nichole and their teacher to understand that he was implying that Clyde's sleeping had distracted him from listening properly.

"Well, quite literally, it means 'flower leech', so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that the name is better suited to a leech that thrives off of the flower itself," Mrs. Fenton gazed at the flower once more, its pink petals curling at the tips. "There are only a few specimens in the world, and nearly all of them live in arctic regions. They can last in South Park's conditions well enough, provided they have enough maintenance. They're quite rare, due to the fact that, if not consistently trimmed, they can 'leech' the nutrients of other plants near the vicinity, and, provided enough plants to sap the nutrients from, can 'leech' the nutrients of other living organisms as well, such as small rats and lizards," The woman pressed a hand to the glass dome of the flower. "Left uncontrolled, it can take over a whole ecosystem."

"Whoa..." Nichole murmured in awe. "That's so amazing..."

"Yikes..." Kenny and Plagg muttered simultaneously.

Mrs. Fenton's face softened. "Indeed, though most would call it terrifying and terrifying alone. You seem to be one of the few exceptions, miss Daniels. I'm glad."

"I grew up with flowers... so I'm not scared of any plants..." The amber eyed girl smiled. "They're friends."

The bell rang loudly outside of the room, and with hurried nods to their teacher, the two children exited the classroom.

-=-

"Ain't this the flower from Mrs. Fenton's class?" Butters questioned.

Nichole, standing in front of her locker, nodded as she sifted through said locker, Butters holding the glass dome containing the flower she was supposed to bring home. "Yes, that's the  _sangsue de fleur_ in class earlier. She asked me to bring it home."

A few minutes after Nichole and Kenny had exited the classroom, Kenny had immediately gotten hit by a flying bottle straight to the back of his head (source unknown), and thus had to be brought to the clinic to be treated for bleeding and the shards of glass stuck in his head. By the time Nichole had gotten him to Rebecca Cotswolds, who was acting as the nurse's assistant for the day, Kenny was babbling about histrionics and how Bradley Biggle had somehow upstaged him in defeating Cthulhu, so Rebecca had to knock him out for some time with some chloroform. Nichole didn't ask where she got it. Rebecca didn't tell her how she got it.

"Whoa... that's a mighty big responsibility, Nic. Aren'tcha scared of it?"

"Of what, the flower?"

"N-no, the responsibility!"

Nichole pulled out a pink notebook and deposited her algebra book inside her locker before closing it, turning to Butters. "Well, no, not really."

Tikki, in Butters's bag, seemed to sense his confusion, because she moved around a little in his bag in concern. "H-how come?"

"Well..." Nichole pondered this as she placed her notebook inside her bag before zipping it up again and taking the covered plant off of Butters's hands. "Actually, it's a  _little_ scary, knowing that somebody is depending on me... but because of that, I know I have to try my best and not let that fear get to me, because fear is what makes you do worse."

Butters was silent as the girl reached up, balancing the plant expertly on one of her hands, to touch something the blond hadn't noticed earlier - a small earring shaped similarly to the flower in her hands, though violet in color. "I remember... starting the Gardening Club. Here in school."

"Oh boy, that was years ago, huh?" Butters supplied helpfully. "You were real scared, I remember."

Nichole nodded. "Yes; I was so scared to bring up the idea to PC Principal that I staked it out in one of the courtyard's trees during club time, but then Token climbed up that tree and sat on a branch across from me, telling me not to be afraid to do what I wanted to do, and to just go for it." She smiled gently, the faintest of blushes dusting her cheeks. "He told me that to start my own club would be a big responsibility... but he knew I could do it because it was what I was meant to do. He believed in me... and so did the other people now part of the club. Their faith in me... that was what allowed me to rise up to the challenge and start the club."

"..." Butters, unconsciously, felt his own studs at her words, the weight of its power suddenly making itself known to him.

This action did not go unnoticed by Nichole, who adjusted herself so that she was holding the flower properly this time. "Oh, now I remember. I was supposed to ask you a long time ago, but are those new earrings?"

"A-ah, these?" Butters flushed, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. "Y-yeah, they're uh... they were a gift. They're real cute."

"Kind of unlike you though... just plain red? No designs?" Nichole examined them closer before shrugging. "Well, who am I to judge? You're the master of your own wardrobe, Butters, as am I."

The blond laughed nervously. "Y-yeah... right... haha..."

"Well, I'd better get going. Wouldn't want the  _sangsue de fleur_ to get-"

"LOOK OUT!"

**_SMASH!_ **

In no more than a blink, the dome shattered, and with it, the  _sangsue de fleur_ was crushed under the weight of a heavy basketball, the flower's petals fluttering in the wind as the ball bounced away and down the hallway until it skidded to a stop against a bunch of lockers. The glass lay, shattered, all around Nichole, as Terrance Mephesto and Jason Tucker rounded the corner, only to freeze at the frozen Butters and Nichole.

"Oh shit..." Terrance swore loudly. "Jason, look what you did!"

"What  _I_ did?!" Jason looked offended. " _You're_ the one who missed the pass!"

"Oh, so now it's my fault?!"

"It's  _always_ been your fault!"

Nichole's amber eyes refused to blink, her hands holding only the remains of a dead flower.

"Well, whatever, at least Nichole isn't hurt or anything."

"Yeah, it was just a stupid flower, anyway."

Butters was about to ask her if she was alright when she ran up to both boys, shoved them, and ran past them, barely missing her boyfriend, Token, who had come after the two other boys on the basketball team to see if they had caught the ball. Recognizing the yellow blur that was his girlfriend, he was about to call her name when he felt something wet hit his arm. Glancing down, he found specks of water, and momentarily, he looked up, checking for any leaks in the ceiling. When it was clear there were none, he stared after where Nichole had run off, finally recognizing what they had been.

Tears.

Salty, heartbroken tears.

-=-

 

**_"How sad... another lovely living thing, snuffed out of existence before its prime."_ **

They had been waiting for this opportunity for quite some time - the opportunity to once again let one of their akuma into the air to seek out the troubled. A few days had passed since the last akuma, Redbull, and quite frankly Hawk Moth had been itching to set their plan into motion again.  _It's been too long._

**_"Human beings allow things like nature to be forgotten, thinking they are nothing compared to their grand plans for society, when in the grand scheme of things, it is nature that is superior to them... how curious that none except you seem to fully realize that."_ **

A white butterfly perching on their palm, Hawk Moth gently covered it, and, through the power of their Miraculous, the butterfly became infused with a strange, dark energy. Cupping their hands together once more, Hawk Moth blew gently at the now black butterfly, the insect flying above and away from them. " ** _Fly, my little akuma, and evilize her!"_**

 -=-

"Mrs. Fenton... I'm s-so sorry..."

In the school's small greenhouse meant specifically for biology classes, Nichole sobbed next to a bunch of Venus flytraps as the sun began to set over the little mountain town, the flowers that bloomed only in the day beginning to close as darkness began to cover the land. In her hands, what little remained of the _sangsue de fleur_ remained crushed, her palms nicked and scratched due to the shattered glass earlier. With the night falling swiftly above the town, Nichole didn't notice the little black butterfly that wandered its way into the greenhouse, seeking out her negative emotions, ready to prey on them.

"S... s-stupid... Jason... it's not... just a..." Nichole hiccuped, squeezing her eyes shut. Her hands tightened into fists around the petals as she declared angrily, "It's NOT JUST A STUPID FLOWER!"

The black butterfly made contact with her earring, and a voice wafted into her ears, smooth as silk.

**_"Fleur de Leech."_ **

Nichole's lips pressed together into a thin line. The white butterfly outline appeared over her face as she lifted her head, eyes narrowed

 **_"Their disrespect for nature... their uncaring attitudes towards the lost lives of rarities... they're disgusting, aren't they? Nature has many gifts, and it's about time they realized that not all of them are for them to sap the life forces away from._** **_I give you the power to sap away THEIR life forces, but you must do me a favor in return for this generous gift I give to you."_ **

Silence.

And then, Nichole scowled. Hawk Moth noted it didn't fit the normally kindhearted girl's face at all.

"Nature gives life, and it can  _take_ life. Let's see how much a 'stupid flower' can  _fuck you up_."

Blackness erupted from the tiny earring, licking its way past her cheeks and down her neck, and soon, it consumed her.

The sounds of shattering glass filled the night air.

-=-

The next morning, Butters woke up to find a large daffodil looming over his bed.

"GAAAAH!"  ** _CRASH!_**

"Butters!" Tikki immediately woke up from her slumber at the cry of her chosen, darting off the small cushion Butters had carefully provided for her and hidden in his sock drawer, only to recoil at the sight of the giant flower as well, blue eyes wide. "W... wha...?!"

"Hiiii- _yaaaaaah!"_

Butters and Tikki only had moments to blink before a familiar black clad superhero crashed through the window, dicing the daffodil into pieces with quick swipes of his claws. As he did so, the little kwami immediately hid herself back in her hiding spot in Butters's sock drawer, only barely missing Chat Noir turning around and sighing in relief, wiping sweat off his brow as he smiled kindly at Butters, holding out a hand. "Need a helping paw?"

"..." Butters stared up in awe at his fellow superhero - not that Chat knew that, of course; the cat hero only knew the smaller blond was a civilian slash one of his best friends in need of rescuing.

Chat Noir cocked his head to the side, noting the adorably confused look on his friend's face. Prior to bounding over to the Stotch household, he had awoken to see Kevin wrestling a giant Venus flytrap to the ground and Karen nowhere to be found, much to his horror. Assisting his older brother in dealing with the overgrown flytrap, he had soon learned that Karen had called Kevin up after Kenny had passed out on his bed, fatigued, to tell him that her stay at Ruby's house would be extended, their project deadline having been extended for two days, which meant she hadn't come home after Kenny had brought home her stuff.

Which... meant she probably had to borrow some of Ruby's clothes. Shit. Kenny had made a bad choice choosing to take her stuff home that night. 

 _How was I supposed to know she was staying, anyway?_ He had reasoned to himself.  _God damn teachers and their last minute extensions..._

Not that it mattered anyway; when Kenny looked out the window, the whole town looked like it was being eaten alive by the vegetation that crept all over the area. Some, like the Tweaks, actively tried to resist the plants by all sorts of methods - Kenny had seen Mrs. Tweak running around wielding a chainsaw and quite frankly it was a terrifying sight to behold, seeing the normally placid older woman hacking and slashing her way past the growth like she had done it before (and perhaps she had, but who was Kenny to know?) - while others, like the Marshes, tried to get away from the creeping flora. Kenny rightfully assumed the Tuckers would hide away their daughter and her friends from the plants, so there would be little to no project making done today.

The blond, after seeing to his older brother, had decided to find the source of the monstrous overgrowth taking over the town, and had ducked away into his room to transform into Chat Noir, claiming that he would hide away for the whole day and barricade himself in his room, which seemed to appease Kevin, if only a little. Kenny could tell he was worried about Karen: the worry lines on his forehead refused to disappear, even after he had called Karen to check up on her that morning (" _I'm fine Kevin, don't worry! Tell Kenny I'm fine too, okay?"_ ), but he couldn't really help ease his worries for the moment - the town needed him.

And Ladybug.

When he had left his house, Ladybug didn't seem to be lurking around, so he assumed she was still asleep - 

"Well, little guy?" Chat Noir asked again, still holding out a hand to the shorter blond. "Are you alright, or did my purrfection leave you starstruck?"

The pun seemed to snap Butters out of it, because he rolled his eyes, taking Chat's hand and pulling himself up. "If anything, it  _did_ distract me from the mess you made o' my room, silly cat."

"Chat Noir, at your service, little butterscotch, and, uh, sorry about your room. Nothing a little cleaning up can't fix, no?" Chat Noir winked at him, and for a moment, Butters turned a little pink - something that the taller blond delighted in. Butters was a rather bubbly and bright member of what they called Stan's gang, and Chat - Kenny - had to admit that the little guy  _had_ grown on him somewhat over the years. While at first he was almost a replacement for that one period of time where he died for quite a while, eventually the four of them - he, Stan, Kyle, and Cartman - had taken him in as the fifth member of their little group, having grown used to his admittedly adorable accent and surprisingly brash behavior when angered.

"Butterscotch?"

"Well, that  _is_ sort of your name, isn't it? Butters Stotch?"

Butters narrowed his eyes. "How did you know that?"

 _Shit._ "... Er, one of your friends asked me to check on you?"  _Great job, McCormick - give yourself away only a few days after the job. You're fucking amazing._ "I woke up early today when plants got into my house, and decided 'hey, I'm a superhero, I gotta save some butts and do a little trimming here and there', and one of your friends asked me  _purr-_ sonally to check up on you." Hopefully he'd buy that.

Butters raised an eyebrow, and then Charlotte came into his mind. He relaxed immediately. "Aw, tha's mighty sweet of them, but I'm fine now, kitty. Shouldn't you be checking up on the rest of the town now, though? Your pretty li'l ladybug friend might be fightin' off some nasty plants right now without ya, and... stuff? They're a ladybug, right? Black spots and red all over?"

From her hiding place in Butters's sock drawer, Tikki snorted at his lame attempt to get his partner away from the scene.

"Shit!" The shorter blond jumped at the curse. "I mean, oh geez, you're right little butterscotch, this cat's gotta scat! Sorry about the curse, by the way, we can start a swear jar, just between the two of us, if you want," Climbing up onto Butters's windowsill, he gave him one last glance before winking, saying, "But, just so you know, if you ever need this pretty kitty's help, just give me a call, and I'll probably lend you a helping paw."

"You're a superhero," Butters replied drolly. "You're supposed ta help everyone."

"True, but who said I can't play favorites?" Chat Noir winked at him, but this time, Butters only rolled his eyes and smiled before he finally bounded off his windowsill and made his way through the town.

Chat Noir missed the bright flash of light that came from Butters's window just as he left.

Ladybug caught up to him from the direction he had come from minutes later, and he did not question it.

-=-

"Oh no..." Ladybug bit their lip, hand clutching their yoyo tightly as the two superheroes looked around.

South Park had been completely overrun by vegetation.

Everywhere as far as the eye could see, there were plants weaving in and out of the buildings of South Park - still growing, now that the two looked closer, albeit at a slow rate. The vines crept at a snail's pace through windows and doorways and roofs and walls, and here and there, gigantic Venus flytraps snapped at the air and monstrous flowers bloomed bright colors, turning the whole area into a tropical vacation gone wrong.

It was  _horrifying._

"What kind of akuma could do this?" Ladybug whispered as they tentatively traversed the plant-overrun street, avoiding and climbing over large vines as they walked. "This is... this is horrible!"

Chat Noir clambered over one of the larger vines before landing gracefully, dusting himself off. "Well, if you ask me, milady, everything seems di- _vine_... for a tree hugger, that is."

"That was a horrible pun and you know it."

"Hey, I can't make great puns all the time!"

Ladybug sighed before beginning to spin her yoyo around. "Do you see anyone around? Any humans or animals?"

"None beyond us, milady," Chat Noir reported. "But I was running around earlier, and I know some people were trapped in their houses, so they're all probably in the buildings, trapped. Alive and okay, but purr-obably trapped."

Ladybug nodded." Well, looks like it's cleanup time. You ready to do some weed whacking, kitty?"

"It's time to mow the lawn, milady!" Chat Noir flashed her a grin and showed off his claws before he tore into one of the nearest plants, shredding at the stalks and the leaves. Ladybug, on their part, turned to face some particularly large roses, and was just about to tear them off when suddenly, large vines erupted from within the center of the street, startling Chat Noir into falling flat on his rear, pausing in his plant massacre to watch as a giant yellow rosebud burst from the center of the newly grown vines, the bud blooming, its petals practically falling away but not quite to reveal someone sitting daintily in the middle of the flower, eyes closed.

The cat superhero somehow found his way to Ladybug's side as said person blinked their eyes open.

"Oh, what's this? A cat and a ladybug in  _my_ garden?" She peered down at the two with distaste. "How disgusting. You're not even the helpful kind of lady beetle."

Today's akuma called to mind Poison Ivy, with her plant theme. A pair of leaves that suspiciously formed a butterfly shaped mask was on her face, and her skin was light green, her hair a darker shade in contrast. Bright red roses bloomed from her head like two buns, and some of her hair appeared to be growing directly into them, acting as the stems to them. She was clad in a dress with a skirt that resembled rose petals, with a belt of vines, and her feet weren't even really  _feet_ \- they looked like tree roots, feeding from the flower she sat upon.

Ladybug yelled up at her, "Hey! South Park isn't your personal greenhouse, you overgrown dandelion! What have you done with everyone else in town?!"

"What, all those other pests?" The akumatized girl smiled, but to the two superheroes, the spiky teeth she owned only made it menacing. "I took care of them, like a good gardener should. And my name is Fleur de Leech, and  _you two_ are the pests in  _my_ garden," The girl hissed, and, as if responding to her emotions, vines erupted on either side of Ladybug and Chat Noir, startling the two into action, rolling away and avoiding the plants that swiped at the both of them. The flower themed villain stood up from her throne, and with that, she began to chase after the two superheroes, summoning up vines to support her as she practically glided across South Park, hot on their heels.

"You can't run forever!" Fleur de Leech screeched, calling up a Venus flytrap to chase after Ladybug and Chat Noir, the plant snapping at them hungrily. "Let the 'stupid flower' show you just how much it can  _do!_ "

Ladybug almost froze in place at her words, recognizing the person all of a sudden.  _No... no, this can't be... Nichole would never..._

"Look out, milady!"

"Huh?"

Chat Noir barreled into them, knocking them out of the way as the flytrap snapped at the space where they had been previously standing. Fleur de Leech called it back, and scowled, the roses that had become her buns blooming a little more as the thorny vines grew from it and stretched out, lunging at the two superheroes. Ladybug let out a yelp before rolling away, Chat Noir tangled up in their limbs as Fleur de Leech continued to reach out at them with the vines growing from her rosebud buns.

"Looks like we're all tangled up, milady," Chat Noir grinned as Ladybug groaned and pushed him off, only barely missing a particularly large vine erupting beside them, aiming for the black cat hero. Releasing their yoyo, the weapon's string wrapped around the giant vine before Ladybug tugged on it as they ran, the string of the yoyo cutting into the vine and slicing it in half, the large vine collapsing onto the ground with a loud thump.

Chat Noir, on his end, clawed his way through the overgrowth, new and super sensitive hearing picking up the sounds of people thumping away at some of the vines and calling for help, and with a determined look, he sliced and diced through the vines swarming the house - which he recognized as the Donovan house -, and continued to do so until sunlight finally blared through the hole he made, revealing the (mildly) surprised face of Craig. Looking deeper inside the room, Chat Noir recognized Clyde's room from the few times he had gone over to do group work with him, and on the bed, Clyde was bundled up in his blankets, cowering.

"Chat Noir?" Craig asked.

Chat Noir winked. "Know any other black cats in the area, my good man?"

"Chat Noir?!" Immediately, Clyde rolled over and out of his blanket cocoon, stumbling over some scattered books before heading towards the windowsill. "C-Chat Noir! You gotta- you gotta get us outta here, man! It's a  _nightmare_ having to be stuck with Craig here in the dark - he never talks and it's like he's not even there!"

Craig intoned, "That's because you talk enough for the both of us, taco-for-brains. But yeah, do you think you could maybe get us out of here? Clyde's dad and sister went out earlier and left Clyde home, and... well, we didn't really expect this." He gestured to the plants outside.

"I could, but it's also sort of safer for you guys here. And besides, this hole's going to disappear when Fleur de Leech catches wind of it." As Chat spoke, new plants seemed to be growing closer to the hole he had made. "Case in point: you civilians will be safer here. Trust me."

Craig nodded in understanding while Clyde wrinkled his nose, asking, "Fleur de Leech?"

"It's a pun on flowers, leeches, and  _fleur de lis_."

"I figured, but..." At this, Clyde lowered his voice. "Do you know who it is yet behind the name and mask? I mean, we all know Stan was Redbull-" At this, Craig elbowed him in the side harshly, making the chubbier boy wail in pain for a few moments before he continued. "And while I know I'm not that smart, I'm not that stupid either! There's gotta be someone in South Park behind this Floor de Bleach person!"

"Fleur de  _Leech_ ," Craig groaned.

Chat frowned as he scratched his cheek awkwardly, still perched on the precarious vines surrounding the Donovan house. "... I certainly don't know who Fleur de Leech is yet, but Ladybug might know... my lady's smart."

"Ladybug... they're really something, huh?" Craig crossed his arms.

The cat superhero smiled wistfully. "Something special, definitely."

"CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!"

Chat Noir turned around just in time to see Ladybug being used as a paddleball for a rather large tulip's leaf.

"This little kitty's gotta go, gentlemen!" Toting double pistols and firing a wink at the two boys, Chat Noir fell over backwards and off the vine just as the hole was once again sealed up, but instead of landing on his back he turned around just in time to land perfectly on his feet, pulling out his bo staff and hurrying over towards where Ladybug was, slamming the staff down on the vine that connected Ladybug and the leaf together while yelling, "My lady's more than just a REBOUND!"

The vine tore in half, and with a quick swerve, Chat Noir caught Ladybug in his arms just as Fleur de Leech screeched, feeling the torn plantlife and now heading straight for them.

"Thanks, Chat," Ladybug sighed in relief as he let her down gently. "Whoo, that was a doozy."

"No time to get dizzy now, milady," Chat Noir warned, before yelping and pulling her down as a vine shot out at them, barely grazing the tips of his folded leather ears. "Yikes! We have to find the object with the akuma in it, and fast! You got any ideas?"

With a determined nod, Ladybug broke free of the quickly dying vine before beginning to spin their yoyo in preparation for travel. "If I'm right an' Fleur de Leech is who I think she is, then it's gonna be in the-  _look out!"_ They launched their yoyo at a telephone pole nearby, its string wrapping around it and pulling them over as Chat rolled away. Where they had once stood, sharp looking thorns had grown up, and upon realizing that she had missed, Fleur de Leech scowled and sent out more rapidly growing flora in both Chat Noir and Ladybug's directions with the raise of her hands.

"Her earring, Chat Noir! Her earring!" Ladybug screamed at him before deflecting a few razor sharp petals that had gone flying their way. With an irritated growl, they threw the yoyo towards a taller vine and pulled themselves closer, while Chat Noir skirted the root-infested ground, claws slicing and dicing a way for him. With their ascent, Fleur de Leech threw more razor sharp petals and leaves Ladybug's way, which they deflected with their yoyo. This, however, infuriated the akumatized girl, who clenched her fists.

"Why are weeds like you so difficult to get rid of?!" She raged as a vine wrapped around her arm and solidified into something similar to a giant jousting lance. Surging forward with an explosion of pollen and petals, she stabbed at Ladybug, who barely managed to dodge before Chat Noir noticed the commotion, and began to claw his way up a thicker vine.

Just as Fleur de Leech thought she had Ladybug cornered, Chat Noir deflected her lance with his bo staff, smirking. "I'm afraid I'll have to  _staff_ you, miss."

"That was  _terrible_." Ladybug intoned as Fleur de Leech scowled at the shitty pun.

Chat Noir looked sheepish. "Must be an off d-EOW!" He looked behind him, and saw that a Venus flytrap had clamped around his tail. "How did I  _feel_ that?! It's not a real ta-"

The flytrap proceeded to turn him into a ragdoll and smack him around.

"You-"  _Bonk._ "Think-"  _Bonk._ "This-"  _Bonk._ "Is-"  _Bonk._ "WILL YOU QUIT TOSSING ME AROUND?!" Chat Noir roared at the flytrap, which soon released him with a weird whimper-like noise, retreating to Fleur de Leech's side. The akumatized girl petted the plant with a coo before turning her glare on Chat Noir.

"... I feel like I shouldn't have done that." Chat Noir whispered.

"You really shouldn't have." Fleur de Leech responded icily, right before she sent thorns flying their way.

With a yelp, Ladybug ducked behind Chat Noir as he spun his bo staff rapidly, deflecting the thorns back to the akumatized girl. He glanced back at Ladybug, a trace of nervousness in his eyes. "Now would be a  _really_ great time to use your Lucky Charm, milady-!"

"Right- **_LUCKY_ _CHARM!"_** Ladybug yelled, and with a toss of their yoyo, the object of the day that landed in their arms was... "... An ax and a shovel?"

"Geez, if all we had to do was chop it all up into pieces, I would've used Cataclysm- DUCK!" Chat Noir moved to spin his bo staff above them next as pollen bombs began to rain above them. "We're running out of time-!"

"I  _know!_ Let me think, Chat!" Ladybug looked around, trying to analyze what they could do with the axe.

_To get rid of plants you dig up the roots of the source._

_Get Chat Noir to trick her into tangling herself up._

_Chop up the stem and knock her off before digging up the roots._

_Destroy the earring._

_Got it!_

With a determined look, Ladybug hollered as they rolled away, "Chat Noir, get her to chase you around the plants! Distract her!"

"On it, milady!" Chat Noir saluted before surging forward, heading straight for Fleur de Leech... and barreling right past her. Startled, the akumatized girl looked behind her as he taunted, "Can't catch me!" before scampering into the undergrowth. With a ferocious snarl, she went after him, sending vines his way. While she was distracted, Ladybug shimmied down the plant they were on and went to look for the main plant she was connected to.

 _If I were a main plant, what would I look like..._ they thought, just as they bumped into a particularly gnarly and rough set of vines.  _I'd look the oldest of the bunch! Perfect!_ Dropping the shovel for now, Ladybug swung the ax at the root, hacking away.

Up above, Chat Noir was gracefully dodging every vine Fleur de Leech had been throwing his way, and by the time they had been tangled up in each other, she struggled, as the cat taunted again, "You're too slow!"

"I'll get you, you mangy cat!" Fleur de Leech hissed, but not before her knees buckled as she wailed in pain, sinking to her knees. Chat Noir looked at her in concern as she cried out, "It hurts-! Who- who's doing this?! My-!"

"Milady...?" Chat Noir peered down, and sure enough, Ladybug had managed to cut off the stem Fleur de Leech had been connected to, sending the akumatized girl to the ground as the plants all over town began to shrivel up and die. Quickly, Chat Noir leaped down and tied her up with the vines that hadn't died yet as Ladybug went to dig up the roots at last, until finally, all that was left was to deal with the akuma itself.

Ladybug knelt by Fleur de Leech's side as they reached for the earring. However, they hesitated, upon hearing the sounds of sobbing. "... Is she cryin'?"

"She is..." Chat Noir examined the weeping villainess. "Hey, what's up, little lily?"

"It hurts..." Fleur de Leech wailed. She didn't have to gesture to the dying plantlife to get the message across. "It hurts so much..."

"She's connected to all o' them," Ladybug realized with dawning horror. Tikki seemed to jingle with worry from within them as they whispered, "By killin' them off, we're slowly killing her too."

"You should get that akuma out- I don't think we're gonna like what happens if we let them all die before we do," Chat Noir warned. With a nod, Ladybug took Fleur de Leech's earring, and crushed it in their palm, releasing the black butterfly that they soon captured with their yoyo. "No more evildoing for you, little akuma - time to de-evilize!"

Once more, from the yoyo emerged a newly purified white butterfly, which soon flew off. "Bye bye little butterfly," Ladybug whispered as they threw the ax and shovel into the air. " ** _MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!_ "**

Red magic that had once been the ax and shovel spread out all over the town, repairing all the surroundings and the damages. The dead plants all revived themselves before shrinking back into the small plants they had once been, and people began exiting their houses, finally free of their plantlike prisons. Soon enough, the black magic bubbled away, and left Nichole Daniels, lying on the ground, as she blinked her eyes open. Her earring sat on the ground, back to its usual state.

"We did it!" Ladybug high fived Chat Noir before turning to face Nichole, who looked around, genuinely confused.

"What's... why am I... here?" She looked down at her earring. "My... earring?" She looked up. "... Ladybug? Chat Noir?"

Chat Noir held out a hand to the amber eyed girl. "It's alright now, little lily. All's well that ends well. Need a ride home?"

"I don't... did I..."

"You were out, girl," Ladybug said gently. A guilty look crossed Nichole's face at their words. "And no, we don' blame you for it. Don't beat yourself up about it, okay? All in a day's work. It wasn't your fault."

"I... I guess so, but..." She swallowed. "The flower... it's still... Mrs. Fenton is going to be so mad at me..."

Chat Noir paled. "The  _s-_ I mean, surely, we can talk to your teacher for you! If she's a South Park resident, she'll understand completely." He gave her a smile and a wink, but it seemed halfhearted as he did the best finger guns he could. "Don't worry!"

"We'll talk to her for ya," Ladybug reassured. "It was out of your control, anyway, okay?"

Nichole pondered this for a few minutes. After a while, however, she smiled, and nodded slightly. "Okay."

-=-

" ** _Why? Why does it keep failing?"_**

Hawk Moth crossed their arms, trying and failing not to look like a child throwing a tantrum as they released their transformation. As Nooroo wandered out of the Miraculous, he laughed at the sight of the current owner of the Miraculous.  _They may not be my true chosen... but they are sweet, and definitely still kind. Somehow._ "I do not wish to repeat it, my dear, but-"

"I know. I don't want to repeat myself either, Nooroo, okay?"

The person sighed, and, despite himself, Nooroo went to press his forehead against theirs. A small, tentative sign of reassurance. "You aren't my chosen. But you still have my Miraculous. And you've been nothing but careful with how you treat the Miraculous."

"You're an artifact of magic and stuff." The being that was Hawk Moth sighed. "I'm supposed to."

"... Right." Nooroo sighed, and perched himself on the person's shoulder. "Are we going home now?"

"Yeah..."

_You may not be my chosen, but you are still MY child right now. You're still my child, and you're still in need of guidance. I do not support the way you're trying to bring your family back together... but you will not listen to reason either way right now._

_Trixx... Pollen... Duusu..._

_Plagg... Tikki..._

_Forgive me, but I have to protect them, even from themselves._ Nooroo closed his eyes.  _My dear... I hope you realize the gravity of your actions soon._

-=-

Surely enough, by the time Nichole had gone back to class the next school day, Mrs. Fenton had let her off the hook. It was sweet how understanding she had been of the predicament, despite not being a native to South Park herself.

"It's okay, miss Daniels. While I am disappointed it did not survive, I know you tried your best." She patted her shoulder. "You're one of my favorite students. Don't beat yourself up over it, okay? You did great."

_If I really did so great... why do I still feel so guilty?_

Nichole sat at a bench in the park, just quietly examining the dried petals in her book. Mrs. Fenton had given the dried petals of the  _sangsue de fleur_ to her to keep.  _So you'll always remember me as your teacher,_ she joked. With a sigh, she shut the book, just as a shadow was soon cast over her. She looked up.

Token.

"You alright?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"... Can I sit?"

A nod.

Nichole scooted over as Token sat down, letting out a puff of air that soon turned icy in the cold of the town. "You know something?"

"... What?"

"Craig said Clyde called you 'Floor de Bleach'."

Nichole immediately hit him with her book as a response. However, Token could see that she was cracking a smile - jackpot. "Tell him he's silly, and that it's Fleur de Leech."

"You know he won't listen."

"It was worth a shot."

"Nic," She looked up at him. "Listen to me, okay? What you did, as Fleur de Leech? Totally okay. I know you've seen videos- and I know that's what you're thinking about," Token interrupted as Nichole opened her mouth to retaliate. "I know you a lot more than anyone, okay? And I just want to say... it's okay."

Nichole stared at him as he continued. "It's okay to be guilty. But... just so you know, nobody blames you for it. Emotion makes us do lots of weird things, you know?" He looked off in the distance, watching the younger kids play around. Firkle tripped Ike into snow as Karen and Ruby giggled and cackled at his misfortune respectively. "We can't always think that everyone will maintain their cool. Everyone loses their cool sometimes. The important thing here is... to use what happened as a stepping stone for your own personal growth." He turned to her, and took her hands in his. They were warm, compared to her frozen ones. "There's a lot of people who believe that what you did as Fleur de Leech doesn't mean you're like that all the time. They believe in you."

"..."

"And I believe in you the most." Token told her gently, squeezing her hands in reassurance. "You're my sweetpea. I know you. And Fleur de Leech is a part of you, but not all of you."

She looked up at him, gaze stormy. "... And what if it happens again? What if there's another akuma and it's me again? And Fleur de Leech comes back?" 

With a soft smile, he said, "Then Ladybug and Chat Noir will be there to help you again. They're here to help."

"..." With a sigh, Nichole leaned her head on his shoulder, her hands still firmly grasped in his. "I just don't like knowing what I did secondhand."

"I didn't like knowing that it was you in danger up there."

"Me, in danger? I was in control!"

"Your emotions were in control. You were angry on behalf of your plants." Token leaned his head on hers gently. "Whether or not it was at that moment, I knew you were in danger. I just... I didn't want you to get hurt."

"... That's so sweet of you."

"I try."

With a weak chuckle, Nichole just sighed again. "... Thanks, sunshine. You always seem to know what to say to make me feel better."

"As do you. And you're welcome."

_**~ End of CH.5: Fleur de Leech ~** _


	6. King Vocale

_Click-clack_ went the sound of the keyboard's keys, the only sound piercing the silence in the library. The typing was rhythmic in its  _click-clacking_ , following a certain beat, that the few people sitting in the library reading or doing their homework were not bothered at all by its presence. Had you been the librarian, you would recognize this typing as familiar, because only a few people ever really came around the library frequently to work.

Kyle Broflovski happened to be one of them.

Passing behind the working boy, Butters had only really intended to get a history book for a report he had to do with Thomas, who had been assigned as his partner. However, at the sound of Kyle's intense typing, his attention had been turned to his screen, curious.

"What'cha typin' up there, Kyle?" Butters peered over Kyle's shoulder, pausing in his reading to glance at the Word document the boy had open. "Hmm..."

"It's another write-up for the Ladyblog," Kyle explained, still typing furiously. "Once I'm done, I'm sending this Wendy's way for proofreading before Bebe begins layout."

Butters read the title.  _'Les Fleurs du mal -_ _The Reign of Fleur de Leech._ "The recent akuma attack?"

"That same one. It was a really intense one." Kyle's fingers coasted over the keys like it was nothing, typing at a speed Butters didn't think naturally possible. "You were trapped in your house, right Butters?"

"H-hah?"

"Y'know," He paused in his typing to take a sip from his soda. Kyle glanced up at Butters from his seat. "Since the plants had taken over the whole town and all."

Butters felt small beads of sweat form on his head, but pretended they weren't there as he laughed nervously. "H-haha, right, right... I try not to... 'member that an' all, y'know?"  _Considerin' that we were technically slowly killin' Nichole in the seconds before we purified the akuma..._

"Yeah, I get that," Kyle agreed before going back to his typing. Butters turned around again to face the bookshelf behind Kyle, scouring the shelves, before pulling out a book.

 _This is the book Thomas was tellin' me to get, right? Hm..._ He traced the embossed letters on the cover.  _Historical Figures Throughout the Ages. Sounds about right._ He headed for the front desk nearby to get it processed, just as Kyle leaned back on his chair, looking satisfied. He turned to face him. "Finished already?"

"Yup. Emailed it to Wendy. Now all I have to do left is..." Kyle leaned to the side, where his backpack was sitting, and pulled out what looked like a checklist from Butters's perspective. The blond quirked up an eyebrow as Kyle crossed out what was probably 'work on article for Ladyblog' on the list before scanning the next item on the list. Immediately, he groaned. "Ugh."

"Wha'ssa matter, Kyle?"

Kyle shut his laptop and let his face meet the top of the laptop, stretching his arms out on the table. "I can't believe this. I still have to write a speech."

"A speech?" Butters was befuddled as the librarian gave him back the book. He slipped the book inside his bag - Tikki moving aside as he did so - before walking back closer to Kyle, gently patting his shoulder. "What for?"

One of Kyle's eyes peeked up at Butters as he turned his head slightly to look at him. "PC Principal let me make a speech to motivate others to..." He waved a hand around. "To, y'know, be more like Ladybug and Chat Noir. Be heroes in their own ways by being more PC-"

Butters snorted.

"- oh, don't give me that look, Butters, this is a chance to finally say something important and make a difference!" He propped himself back up, a hand supporting his chin before he sighed dreamily. "Just like Ladybug and Chat Noir. Now  _there's_ a bunch of superheroes who deserve a franchise." He was making a tiny jab at Coon and Friends, and they both knew it - but Butters didn't comment on it, seeing as that he was still unsure as to how to react at Kyle's dreamy look while he talked about Ladybug. Who even knew how to react when a good friend was basically swooning over your alter ego?

Butters shifted the strap of his bag awkwardly. "Right... well, I gotta go, Kyle. Thomas is still waitin' on me an' all."

"Don't let me keep you, Butters. See you tomorrow?"

"See ya, Kyle."

-=-

"Staaaaan!"

Stan had only that for a warning before a tiny bundle of blue latched itself on his back, laughing. Butters and Kenny looked on quizzically as Stan glanced behind him, only to meet Ike Broflovski's attempt at baby doll eyes. He laughed. "Ike, get off, goddammit, you're not three anymore."

"You're no fun." Ike let go of Stan to wave hello to Kenny and Butters as Kyle finally approached them, muttering something to himself as he had his eyes trained on his phone. Stan, Kenny, Butters, and Cartman all watched as Kyle proceeded to walk straight into Stan... and continued to walk, despite the literal wall in his path.

Kenny snorted. "Yo, Earth to Broflovski. Our eyes are up here."

"And so, with the increase of- huh?" Kyle blinked, and looked up, meeting Stan's eyes before jumping back, embarrassed as he soon realized what he'd been doing. "Oh God. Sorry about that."

Stan's gaze was soft as he chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Welcome back to Earth, Kyle. How was Mars?"

"Very funny," Kyle rolled his eyes as Butters asked, "Was that your speech?"

"Speech?" Cartman looked  _way_ too interested - a warning bell that Kenny should have picked up on the first time around, but didn't. "The Jew's making a speech? Who's the idiot that gave you the opportunity?"

Kyle puffed up his chest, proud. "PC Principal."

Cartman choked on his own spit. " ** _PC PRINCIPAL?_** "

"Yeah, so take that, fatass!" Kyle said smugly before turning to the others. "I still have to run this by PC Principal himself, see if anything needs further editing, before I speak up at the school assembly later in the day, but otherwise I think I did pretty good!"

Ike fished the phone from Kyle's hands to look at the speech. "Mom helped him with the basic outline."

"Hey!" His older brother snatched the phone back before tucking it safely into his pants pocket, patting it. "I have to keep practicing my speech today, or I'll never get anything done. I just hope people will listen..."

Cartman snorted as Stan reassured, "Don't worry, Kyle. They'll be forced to listen. PC Principal will kick their asses if they don't, y'know."

"I don't want them to just listen because they're scared of PC Principal, though," Kyle clenched a fist. "I want them to listen because of the message and stuff. I-I know it's a long shot, but..."

Butters smiled. "You really want them to be inspired by the message Ladybug and Chat Noir bring as the new superheroes, huh?"

"... Yeah."

"Wise words, Leo," Kenny reached over to ruffle Butters's hair, making the boy flush red as he stammered in embarrassment. Butters could practically hear Tikki's delighted laughter in his ears as he hid in his sweater's tall collar while his not-so-secret crush turned to Kyle. "But yeah. Don't worry about it. I'm sure they'll listen."

"..." Cartman remained silent as the bus rolled around and picked them all up.

-=-

"You got this, Kyle."

Kyle fidgeted as Bebe tugged on his hair with a comb and Wendy straightened out his clothes. "Okay, but what if I  _don't_ got this?"

"I'll eat my hat if you say you're not ready again," Wendy laughed before handing him his hat, only to have Bebe bat the hat away with an indignant shriek of, "Don't give him the hat back again! I  _just_ managed to tame his stupid hair, he's just going to get hat hair again!"

Kyle laughed a breathy laugh as Wendy took the hat back with a mock offended sniff. "She's probably right. Don't wanna ruin her hard work."

"You got this, carrot top," Bebe gave the boy a good natured whack on the backside, making him yelp in surprise before rubbing his rear moodily as Bebe winced. "Sorry. But my point still stands. You'll be fine."

"Is your megaphone still with you?" Wendy asked him. "Sorry about the microphone, by the way. Red went to check on the equipment and they were all missing or broken."

Kyle patted the megaphone resting just above his hip. "Yeah, it's here. And it's no problem. I'll look stupid, but I'll get the message across, right?"

"I still don't know why or how the microphones got destroyed - they were literally fine yesterday," Bebe mused as she went to gather up her comb and hairspray, along with Kyle's hat. "Anyway, I'll hand this over to your brother, okay? Go get 'em, Kyle!" And with that, she left the backstage, leaving Wendy and Kyle alone together as she deposited the hat on Kyle's brother's lap.

Kyle let out a sigh. Wendy raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"Just nerves." Kyle patted himself down before his eyes widened. "What the- my phone! It's gone!"

"Maybe the others have it?" The noirette suggested. "Why do you need it?"

"No, it was- I kept it in my pocket, I need my phone, Wendy, my speech is there!" Kyle turned his pockets inside out, but found only a few lint balls. "Fuck, fuck, fuck-"

"Don't you know your own speech?"

"I do, but PC Principal made a few edits that I might forget and end up saying what I originally drafted instead! Fuck, where is it?!"

"Mr. Broflovski? You're about to go out in five, 'mmkay?" Mr. Mackey's voice wafted in from the side, causing Kyle to fidget uncomfortably as he muttered to himself, "Where is it?! God dammit, where could it have-"

"Kyle. Come on." Wendy grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him to face her. "Don't panic now. It's not going to help if you go out there and panic. I'll look for your phone by asking the guys, okay? Take deep breaths, and then steady yourself. You still remember the first part of your speech?" At Kyle's nod, Wendy smiled reassuringly. "Good. You can still say that in front of everyone since you still know that part, and while you do that, I'll keep looking for your phone with the others. Just take deep breaths."

"Okay... okay. Okay." Kyle breathed in and out deeply before sighing. "I got this."

"You got this." Wendy agreed encouragingly before Mr. Mackey's voice called again, "Mr. Broflovski, it's time for your speech."

"I got this." Kyle repeated again. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anything. With a deep breath, he marched out, and Wendy exited the backstage, slipping out from behind the curtains to join the others in the crowd. Stan waved her over as Kyle positioned himself at the podium, and she walked over, a serious look on her face, as she asked, "Stan, do you know anything about where Kyle's phone could have gone?"

"Kyle's phone?" Stan looked thoughtful. "Last I saw it, he was using it to practice his speech in the courtyard in front of us. Why?"

"Well, it's missing, and he hasn't memorized the second part of his speech. Help me look for it, maybe?"

"Let him fuckin' do the speech, Testaburger," Cartman muttered, fiddling with something in his hands. "The Jew breathes speeches for a living just like you - he can do it."

Kenny laughed. "What's this? Eric Cartman, believing in Kyle?"

"I believe in Kahl, alright," Cartman rolled his eyes, and muttered something under his breath. Butters strained to hear it, but didn't manage to get it as Kyle began his speech, catching everyone else's attention.

His voice was a bit too loud thanks to the megaphone, but otherwise, the words flowed out smoothly, every syllable enunciated clearly and without too long a pause. It was strange to look at since he wasn't using a microphone, but his message was still getting out - well, at least, most of it was. As he talked about Ladybug and Chat Noir, and their appearance in the town, and their new roles as role models to the society, Butters and Kenny both felt a warm sort of feeling in their chests, and smiled to themselves, glad that they were making some sort of difference.

As Kyle neared the second part of his speech, one could see the beads of sweat forming on the sides of his head, and Cartman only smiled to himself while Wendy murmured, "Oh no..." softly, discreetly tugging on Stan's sleeve as she did so.

"Shit..." Stan didn't let his gaze leave Kyle's as he noticed the change in stance: Kyle was beginning to get nervous. "We need to get him his phone, but we don't know where it is..."

Kenny glanced over at Cartman, and then did a double take before fishing something from Cartman's hands, the boy making an indignant noise. "You mean  _this_ phone?"

"CARTMAN!" Wendy shrieked, startling Kyle into stopping at how shrill her voice had gotten, and turning all attention to her. Reaching over Stan, she grabbed Cartman by the collar, and hissed into his face, "Do you have  _any_ idea how nervous he was when he thought he lost his phone?!"

"He has my phone?!" Kyle let the megaphone drop from in front of his face to his side as Kenny waved the phone to let him know it was there. With a furious growl, he stomped off the stage, despite Mr. Mackey's nervous pleas for him to stay, and once he was in front of where Cartman was sitting, he lunged, Wendy barely managing to let go before Kyle went and started punching Cartman, furious. The others around them all scattered, terrified of the look on Kyle's face as he yelled, "YOU MOTHERFUCKER!"

"Mr. Broflovski-  ** _Mr. Broflovski_** -" Mr. Mackey ran over, distressed. "You need to stop- this isn't-"

"I- knew- it-" Kyle punctuated each word with a punch, occasionally whacking Cartman with his megaphone, though for every three punches, Cartman delivered a punch of his own, occasionally attempting to bite his fists. "I- should've- known-"

**_"MR. BROFLOVSKI!"_ **

"Shit." Kenny swore under his breath as PC Principal - and what looked to be a tattling third grader - stomped over, and unceremoniously pried Kyle away from Cartman, who had been practically beaten black and blue, sniffling. Though no one could see his eyes, they knew he was glaring at Kyle as he said, "I gave you the chance to make a speech to make a difference, Broflovski. And this is what you do?"

"He stole my-"

"I don't care about that, brah!" PC Principal yelled back, silencing the boy. "You were supposed to make a speech about Ladybug and Chat Noir and how they were role models to this PC town of ours, not beat up an unassuming audience member!"

"But-"

"PC Principal, Cartman stole his phone!" Wendy protested. "Shouldn't you be punishing him too?"

"Three days detention, Testaburger, for speaking out of place," PC Principal pointed at her with his free hand before pointing at Cartman next. "You, one week's detention for successful theft. And you," He faced Kyle again. "One week suspension."

"What?!" Kyle, Stan, Wendy, Butters, and Kenny all simultaneously gasped, while the rest of the people watching fell in a hush.

"You heard me, Broflovski. One week suspension for assault and battery on a fellow student." PC Principal dropped him next to Stan again. "And if any of you do something like this again, one week suspension for you too."

Kyle clenched his fists, the other around his megaphone. "This is bullshit. This is going on the school blog."

"I see that camera, Stevens, put it down." PC Principal pointed at Bebe, who lowered her phone. "The school blog is suspended too until Mr. Broflovski learns that assault and battery is not the way to resolve issues."

"It's what?!" Bebe was clearly distressed. "But, the Ladyblog-"

"Fuck this!" Kyle threw his hands up, clearly pissed off, before stomping down the bleachers, snarling to himself about 'stupid fatasses' and 'unjust punishment'. He passed his brother, who held his hat to his chest, looking worried, while his best friend Tricia Ruby - or Ruby, as he preferred to call her - patted his arm gently.

Butters and Kenny both had an uneasy feeling in their stomachs, watching Kyle walk away.

 -=-

_**"A desire to have your voice heard, coupled with such a powerful voice... but when you finally get the chance, someone just wants to see you crash and burn."** _

With a soft sigh, Hawk Moth held out a hand, and a white butterfly perched on their palm. Just like before, their other hand covered the butterfly, and, through the power of their Miraculous, the butterfly went dark once more.  _ **"I know what it's like to feel like your opinion matters to only a few people. No one should ever have to feel that way."**_

Hawk Moth cupped their hands together and blew gently at the now black butterfly, the insect flying above and away from them. " ** _Fly, my little one, and akumatize him!"_**

 -=-

"That stupid, good for nothing-"

 Kyle kicked at the nearest bush, a hand shoved into his pocket. The megaphone was still tightly gripped in his other hand as he sat at a bench, sulking. Children ran past him, laughing and playing, and a few adults lingered on other benches, eyes on their phones, distracted. Looking up, he watched as a few of the younger kids stopped to listen to a boy who looked like he was playing 'the boss' of their little group, and with a yell of acquiescence, they all went to follow him around. The sight made Kyle's stomach churn unpleasantly as he glared back down at his shoes.  _I hate him so much. He's such a fucking DICK! Both of them are!_ His grip tightened on his megaphone.  _He gets detention, and I get suspended?! He stole my phone and he only gets detention?! That's bullshit!_

By the pirate ship playset, Ike sat with Ruby, shooting worried glances at his brother from time to time as Ruby nudged him. "It's your turn. Roll the dice?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry,  _mon bijou_." Ike grabbed the two dice, and halfheartedly rolled them. "Five."

Ruby raised an eyebrow at the French nickname - she knew Ike took French as his foreign language class, but didn't know what it meant. Still, she decided to comment on the other obvious thing. "You look distracted. Don't want to play Snakes and Ladders anymore?"

"Oh, I- it's just..." Ike sighed, looking away from Kyle to face Ruby. And in that moment that he looked away, the black butterfly hit the megaphone.

**_"King Vocale."_ **

Kyle's face grew dark as a scowl and a white butterfly outline appeared in front of his face.

 ** _"From now on, people will HAVE to listen to you. You are a king. Nobody can oppose you - a king's word is law after all, but perhaps you need a little help in forming your convocation, no?"_** Hawk Moth's smile was wan, knowing that they were essentially projecting, somewhat, on this friend of their sibling's. _Well... I guess it doesn't matter, a_ _s long as he gets me the Miraculous... I want my family back together..._ ** _"As long as you bring me the Miraculous, you will reign forever, without anyone having to pull you back down. The world is yours to rule."_**

Kyle's grip on the megaphone tightened as he stood up. "It's time for them to  _listen_."

The outline faded away, and from the megaphone, blackness bubbled up and around Kyle, right in plain sight of the other people in the park. With his back turned, Ike couldn't see it happening - but Ruby did. With wide eyes, she managed to say, "Ike- your- Kyle-"

"Huh?" The boy swiftly turned around, only to mouth a desperate 'no' as someone else stood in the place of his brother. "No... no, Kyle!"

 -=-

"You okay, Stan?" Wendy asked, worry shadowing her face as she walked side by side with him. Her books were held close to her chest as she added, "You've been looking bothered for an hour now."

Stan sighed, hands in his pockets digging in deeper. "I should've helped him. I should've told Cartman to shut the fuck up. I should've stood up to PC Principal."

"This is about Kyle, isn't it?"

"No, it's about underpants gnomes-  _yes, it's about Kyle, you two are the only ones who fight with Cartman on a daily basis."_

Wendy raised an eyebrow.

Stan threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "... Okay, Cartman gets into fights with everyone. But that's because he's a  ** _fucking-_** "

"- asshole?" Wendy finished for him knowingly. She shook her head, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear with a free hand before saying, "But that's Eric. He's the asshole friend everyone has that you have to knock down a peg-"

"Or twenty." Stan muttered.

"- or twenty when he gets too high and mighty," Wendy agreed before shifting her books to her other arm, patting Stan's arm with her free hand. "You know Kyle and I don't take his shit. No one does."

"You saw what happened, didn't you, Wendy? You were right there! It wasn't right!" Stan looked up from his shoes to gaze at her.

Wendy's lips pursed. "I know it wasn't. I got detention, remember? I let my anger get to me. And the Ladyblog got suspended too, you know this. Bebe was raving about it afterwards, staring at the video she recorded." At the look on Stan's face, she patted his arm again. "She promised to delete it after she showed the girls who were absent today, just to keep them up to speed, I swear."

"She'd better. I don't want that shit going viral." The boy sighed despondently. Kicking over a rock as they walked, he murmured, "He already gets enough shit from his mom, he doesn't need this going viral too..."

Wendy tentatively leaned against his arm, butting him with her head. At his curious look, she smiled reassuringly. "Trust me. Bebe's one of my best friends - if she says she'll delete it, she'll delete it, if only for me. Don't worry so much about it, okay? At least Cartman got detention."

"Yeah, I know..." Stan sighed as Wendy straightened back out again, dusting off her skirt as they walked. "I just hope he's okay-"

"HALT!"

"HALT!" "HALT!" "HALT!"

"What the-" Wendy jumped back, pulling Stan along with her, as three children, possibly kindergarteners, blocked their path, all wielding what looked to be really realistic looking fake swords, or actual swords. All three of them were glaring at the two noirettes with red eyes, and all of them had gray skin and white hair, as well as pointed ears and what looked like fantasy garb instead of their usual clothes. "Elves?"

Stan squinted. "No... those are... drow elves? Drow elves are supposed to be gray skinned..."

"How smart."

At the familiar voice, a chill ran down both their spines, and they looked up from the three kindergarteners to see a black megaphone pointed at them. They both felt their blood run cold.

" _Kneel before your king, my knight and shieldmaiden._ "

 -=-

At Cartman's house, there wasn't really much going on.

Sitting on the sofa, Butters watched as Kenny and Cartman played a racing game, yelling profanities at each other as they swiveled and threw various items at each other, both in game and in real life. Occasionally he ducked whenever the objects went flying his direction instead, but otherwise it was a pretty fun thing to watch, especially after the fiasco in school. Tikki was also watching the scene from Butters's bag, though she took care to be mostly hidden as she watched, perched on the spine of one of Butters's books as she did so.

"AY! Fuck you, Kinny, that was cheating!" Cartman hollered as a bomb went flying at his racer's vehicle.

Kenny snickered. "It's not cheating if it's an actual item in the game, fucker. Square up and get ready to give up your mom's pot pie!"

"NEVER!"

Butters laughed, rocking his feet back and forth as his two friends continued to play. He dimly noted the absence of the two super best friends, but otherwise figured that Kyle wouldn't want to be bothered coming over since it was Cartman who'd gotten him suspended in the first place, and Stan usually didn't follow them around if Kyle was angry at them, so he didn't attempt to text them.  _Best he cooled off first, after all._ He wasn't particularly sure why he and Kenny had still gone over to Cartman's house to play video games when it was Kyle they needed to watch, but he figured that Stan and Wendy could help him out. They were closer to him, after all.

"HA!" Cartman cheered as his racer eventually crossed the finish line first before Kenny's thanks to a well-timed rocket. "Eat my dust, McCormick!"

"Aw, what?!" Kenny groaned in frustration before glancing at Butters behind them. He offered the controller to him, eyebrow raised. "You want a turn, Leo? I think I'm just gonna go grab some stuff in Cartman's fridge, probably a drink or two."

"M-me? I'm not good at games, Ken," Butters said honestly. That was a half-lie - he was decent, but he didn't like going up against Cartman, especially in a game Cartman was beginning to master. "I-I'll just watch you guys."

Kenny curled his lip, but because of his parka, only he knew about it. "You sure?"

"Y-Yeah."

"If you're gettin' shit from the fridge, can you go grab me a chili dog?" Cartman began scouring his game collection for another multiplayer to set up. "Don't touch the cake, Mom says that's supposed to be an apology cake for the Jew or whateva."

Kenny smirked as he stood up. "Oh, what's this? The old fatass has a heart?"

"Mom's idea, not mine, don't fucking test me, asshole. I'd never apologize to him even if you gave me a fuckin' life supply of Cheesy Poofs," Cartman grumbled as he picked a game at last. "Ah, this one. We're playing a Tekken ripoff next."

"Why not Tekken?"

"Because my mom's a cheapass, dumbass. Now shoo. My chili dog. Your drink."

Kenny shrugged, and headed for the Cartmans' kitchen, where Plagg immediately flew out from his hiding spot in Kenny's parka to examine the contents of the fridge with a large, drawn out sniff. "Mmm, I smell Camembert in here. Or at least something a lot like it. Wonder where it is..."

"If there _is_ somehow, miraculously, some Camembert here, don't eat it all," Kenny warned as he scoured the refrigerator for the chili dog and a drink. He pulled out a can of Mountain Dew and the chili dog before popping the chili dog in the microwave nearby, assuming Cartman would want it hot. "I don't want Cartman wailing on my ass."

Plagg made a 'psh' sound as he rummaged around the fridge. "Eh. You can take him, you're a superhero."

"I don't want to fucking  _die,_ Plagg-"

**_CRASH!_ **

At the crashing noise in the living room, Kenny froze, and immediately gestured for Plagg to duck back inside his parka, which he did. Once there, he pulled the chili dog out of the microwave before dashing to the entrance to the living room and peeking in, where he saw Cartman and Butters slowly backing away from what used to be the front door, where, flooding in, there looked to be a battalion of... drow elves?

"HALT!" "HALT!" "HALT!"

Most of the drow elves looked to be kindergarteners, all wielding realistic looking swords and occasionally a bow and quiver full of arrows. All of them were targeting Cartman as they advanced, though some were eyeing Butters and cocking their arrows at him. Butters, on his end, had his grip on his schoolbag, Tikki just lying in wait, waiting to be called on, as Butters squinted back at the tiny drow elves.  _Why would drow elves be..._

"Make way for the king!" A familiar voice called - one that made Cartman's, Kenny's, and Butters's blood run cold.

The drow elves all parted like the Red Sea for Moses as one Wendy Testaburger walked down the path they made, though this was no Wendy they recognized. Skin like faded lilacs and her violet eyes now red like the other drow elves, her raven hair was now snow white, and long elf ears peeked out from behind locks of hair. Her shieldmaiden armor remained fairly the same, though darker in hue and accentuated with red instead of pink. Gripped in one of her hands was a shield with a flame decal, and in another, her sword.

"Wendy?!" Butters yelped.

Wendy did not respond, as though Butters hadn't called her name at all. However, Cartman soon recognized her, and with a guffaw, pointed at her. "You look like a fuckin' grandma, Wendy! Hahahaha, holy shit-"

It happened so fast, Butters and Kenny didn't even have time to blink, but soon, Cartman found himself pinned against the wall, Wendy's shield pressed to his stomach and her sword to his neck. She remained unblinking as Cartman began wailing.

Kenny ducked back inside the kitchen, and tugged down his parka, allowing Plagg exit as he whispered, "Time to transform, Plagg, Cartman needs us!"

"You're really doing this for him?" Plagg asked.

Kenny rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Plagg. Plagg, claws out!"

The familiar sensation of destructive green magic flowed over him, and before he knew it, he was Chat Noir again, leather tail and all. With a shake of his head, Chat Noir pulled out his bo staff and split it in two before bounding into the Cartmans' living room and warding the elven Wendy off, catty smile adorning his face. "Ain't that a little too close for comfort to one of your worst enemies, Wendy?"

Wendy didn't respond again, but someone else did - someone with another familiar voice. The girl stood to the side as another person came in.

"Who the fuck are you?" Cartman spat, rubbing his neck ruefully. That had been a close call. "Kahl, is that you, you filthy Jew?"

"You will refer to me as King Vocale, you fat fuck!" The newcomer hissed, and that simply cemented in Butters's and Chat Noir's brains that yes, it was Kyle Broflovski, though obviously akumatized.

King Vocale looked similar to Kyle, yes - the High King of the Drow Elves, Kyle, that is. Both possessed the same robe with the tall, imposing collar (though his was no longer countable as a robe, since it was no longer a robe, really, and looked like it was part of a black bodysuit), and the crown of wood. However, that was where the similarities ended. The tiny golden flames on his robes were bigger, more akin to infernos since they were red now, and the wooden crown curled around his head menacingly, riddled with thorns as well as dead leaves, a single green gem nestled snugly in the middle. His ears were long and pointed, like an elf's, and his normally fair skin had gone gray, his curly hair white like snow. His eyes, normally a pretty emerald green, were now a deep crimson with black scleras. The megaphone had transformed into a black one, flame decals curling around it menacingly.

Butters inched towards the stairs as Chat Noir 'tsk'ed. "You call yourself a king, but I don't see anyone deserving of respect in this room besides myself and the little butterscotch." He winked, and with a frustrated yell, King Vocale yelled into his megaphone, "Eagle formation! Target Chat Noir!"

"Yes my king!" The drow elves all yelled, and altogether, they swarmed the cat superhero, who fought them off with his bo staff as he glanced back at Cartman. "What are you waiting for?! Run, damn it!"

Cartman's eyes widened, and with a yelp, he ran for the upstairs, Butters right behind him. As Cartman ducked into his room, Butters went to duck into the bathroom, and opened his bag. Tikki flew out as he said, "Chat Noir needs our help down there. Tikki, spots on!"

-=-

"Alligator formation! Corner him!"

"Spider formation! Entangle!"

"Cobra formation! Strangle!"

"Geez, are all your formations based on animals? Kind of a ripoff, if you ask me- ow!" Chat Noir barely dodged a controlled Stan's sword slash. Wendy, on her end, was about to swing for his neck from behind, when a yoyo deflected it. With frustrated growls, both Wendy and Stan looked up the stairs to see Ladybug, spinning their yoyo around in a rapid circle, a smug grin on their face. Chat Noir looked relieved. "Milady-bug!"

"Sorry I'm late, kitty. It takes a while for word of mouth to get around this town," Ladybug apologized before tossing the yoyo at Wendy. "It's time we took down the lackeys first! HA!"

"Lion formation! Surge fast!" King Vocale roared through his megaphone. "Let's fuck 'em up!"

As if empowered, all the fallen elves rose again, yelling battle cries, as Ladybug and Chat Noir went to deflect each and every one of them. Every once in a while, Wendy and Stan would surge forward and duel Ladybug and Chat Noir respectively, but every time they got deterred, until it reached a point where all the elves had fallen again, save for the two former noirettes and King Vocale himself.

"No! My elves!" With a snarl, King Vocale raised the megaphone to his mouth again.

"The akuma has to be in his megaphone - it's the only logical thing for it to be on his person," Ladybug deduced with a frown. "But how are we going to get it when it's in his hands so tightly like that?"

Chat Noir hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe we could distract him the way we distracted La Lechuza- LOOK OUT!" He tackled Ladybug to the ground as a blast of red sound waves erupted from King Vocale's megaphone. Just then, the elves rose all over again, still battered and bruised, but on their feet - and heading for the two superheroes.

"We have to get out of this house and lead them to a more open space! Hold on to me, Chat Noir!" Ladybug tossed their yoyo out the gaping hole King Vocale and his lackeys had made in the Cartman household, wrapping an arm around Chat Noir's waist, and pulling him close. At the close proximity, Chat Noir blinked and flushed a light pink, but his partner didn't seem to notice as they zoomed out of the house and headed for a more open area. With an aggravated yell, King Vocale commandeered his elves out of the house, and they all stormed forward and after the two superheroes.

Civilians scattered as the drow elf battalion followed after the swinging Ladybug and Chat Noir, King Vocale yelling out a strange language that let loose green sound waves, and then black, alternatively. This seemed to be healing the elves and speeding them up, and soon, they were just within reach of the two superheroes.

"Shit, they're gaining on us," Chat Noir swore before pulling out his bo staff. "Land over there, milady. I'll handle them while you use Lucky Charm."

"You sure you can handle them?" Ladybug asked worriedly.

Chat Noir winked. "Cat's honor."

With a roll of their eyes, Ladybug landed on a nearby roof, letting go of Chat Noir, who readied his staff as the elves began to climb all over each other, trying to reach him. King Vocale continued to chant a strange language into his megaphone, sending out blasts of red, green, and black sound waves as they climbed up with him on their backs, while in the background, Ladybug yelled, " ** _LUCKY CHARM!_** ", and tossed their yoyo up in the air.

The object that came out was...

"A jumping rope?" Ladybug stared at it. "What am I gonna use this for?" They looked around the scene.

_Use your yoyo and jumprope simultaneously to make a rope to crisscross with._

_The crisscrossing will grab enemies and knock their weapons out before tossing them away from you._

_Disarm Stan and Wendy with the crisscrossing and get Chat Noir to use Cataclysm on their weapons, since they're the heavy hitters._

_Use your yoyo and pull the megaphone out of King Vocale's hands._

_Got it!_

"Chat Noir, get ready!" Ladybug grabbed their yoyo and the jumprope, tying them together, before proceeding to begin a crisscross routine, slowly approaching the drow elves coming right at them. Just as they predicted, in their desire to get to them, they disregarded the rope entirely, and got tangled up, lost their weapons, and thrown away with a yell, while Chat Noir deflected the other elves with his bo staff from behind Ladybug. As Stan and Wendy went for Chat Noir and Ladybug respectively, Ladybug took the opportunity to do a double under before slamming the rope over Wendy's shoulders and around her, jumping and crossing the jump rope together while removing their yoyo and squeezing while sliding under Wendy, pulling the rope taut. As the rope squeezed around Wendy, she let go of her shield and sword, and fell down with a yelp, while Chat Noir parried Stan's sword with his staff, knocking it out of his hands.

"Now, Chat!" Ladybug yelled while tossing the tied up Wendy at Stan, both of them yelping as they crashed to the roof.

Chat Noir readied his clawed gloves. "You got it!  ** _CATACLYSM!_** " With the destructive magic, he laid his claws on the two weapons, destroying them instantly.

Seeing the disarming of his two strongest warriors, King Vocale raged. "Damn you, Chat Noir!" He aimed his megaphone at Chat Noir, but just then, Ladybug threw their yoyo at the megaphone, and pulled it into their hands, startling King Vocale, who didn't get to react fast enough before Ladybug broke the megaphone, releasing the black butterfly that they soon captured with their yoyo. "No more evildoing for you, little akuma - time to de-evilize!"

Once more, from the yoyo emerged a newly purified white butterfly, which soon flew off. "Bye bye little butterfly," Ladybug whispered as they grabbed the jumprope and threw it into the air. " ** _MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!_ "**

Red magic that had once been the rope spread out all over the town, repairing all the  damages. The various drow elves returned to being kindergarteners and normal people - including Ike Broflovski and Ruby Tucker, who blinked and looked at their hands, while Stan and Wendy returned to normal as well, sitting up and looking at each other in confusion. The black magic of the akuma bubbled away from King Vocale, leaving Kyle Broflovski, hunched over on the rooftop.

Ladybug smiled, and held out a fist to Chat Noir. With a catty grin, Chat Noir gave them a fistbump, and together, they both said, "Pound it!", just as Kyle sat up, groaning.

"Kyle?" Stan rushed over. "Dude, you okay?"

"I feel like I just got off the world's worst rollercoaster ride, but I'm okay. I think." Kyle looked up at Ladybug and Chat Noir. "... Oh."

"Yeah. Oh." Chat Noir grinned, holding out a hand to the boy. "Don't worry. We gotcha before you could do anything worse."

Kyle took the hand gratefully, pulling himself up, before murmuring, "Thanks, Chat Noir. Ladybug."

"It's our job, Kyle." Ladybug smiled reassuringly.

"You know my name?" Kyle went starry eyed, staring at Ladybug with admiration.

Ladybug choked, and with a stammer, they remedied, "I-I heard your friend say it! Just now! Nice name, by the way. Kyle. Hoo boy. That's a really lovely name. Kyle. Yup." Chat Noir raised an eyebrow, and was about to comment, when suddenly both Ladybug's earrings and Chat Noir's ring beeped. "Oh no. Guess this bug's gotta fly, Kyle. Help him down?"

"Yeah." Stan nodded, and with a smile, Ladybug swung away, and Chat Noir bounded off, just as Ike yelled and threw himself into his brother's arms, glad that he was alright.

-=-

**_"Hm."_ **

Hawk Moth dropped their transformation, and Nooroo flew out of the Miraculous again. He cocked his head to the side. "You look thoughtful."

"..." Hawk Moth only sighed, and gestured for Nooroo to hide in their clothing again, which they did. "Just hide, Nooroo. We're late for dinner."

"But-"

"Now, Nooroo. They'll get worried."

"Okay..."  _What are you thinking, little one? Are you reconsidering your actions?_ As the person went to leave the area, Nooroo only sighed.  _Perhaps not... but when the day comes..._

_Ladybug... Chat Noir..._

-=-

A knock on the door.

"Come in!" Kyle answered, writing down something on his notebook before looking up to see his mother, standing in the doorway. "Mom?"

"There's someone here to see you, Kyle." Sheila Broflovski stepped aside, revealing Liane Cartman and her son. Immediately, Kyle scowled, and turned away, but not before his mother said, "He has something to say, Kyle."

"I don't want to hear it."

"Oh, please, let my little Eric say it, Kyle?" Liane nudged her son forward, and with a grumble, the boy put the cake in the box down on Kyle's bed. Despite himself, Kyle glanced at it before looking up at the Cartmans, an eyebrow raised. "What's this?"

Liane nudged Cartman again, and with a muttered curse, he recited in a reluctant tone, "Ah'm sorry for gettin' you suspended."

"And?" Liane prodded.

Cartman gave a long suffering sigh. "And for stealing your phone."

"I hope you learned your lesson, young man," Sheila glanced at Liane for permission, and at the slight nod of her head, cuffed Eric on the ear, making the boy whine before ushering the two Cartmans out of the room. She glanced at Kyle one last time. "Go enjoy the cake, Kyle. Ike made sure it was safe for you to eat, though I can't fathom why he'd do that. Liane's baking has always been lovely." She shut the door.

Once he was sure his mother and the Cartmans were gone, Kyle shifted on the bed, and went over to open the box, only to gasp softly at what was inside - a red cake, with a ladybug like design on it. And a shot, black frosting message messily written on the top - 'sorry jew' - , clearly written by Cartman. Despite himself, Kyle snorted, but otherwise closed the box again, and put it on his dresser, before returning to his notebook, propping it open again.

"Ladybug..." He murmured to the drawing on his notebook of the spotted hero. "Just who are you, really?"

_**~ End of CH.6: King Vocale ~** _


	7. Yin and Yang

"What's got baby boy blue over there so excited?"

Kenny watched with amusement as Kevin Stoley practically  _vibrated_ in his bus seat, clutching something small in his hands. His seatmate, an amused Bradley Biggle, only offered, "He's got a surprise for Esther today."

"Oh?" From his seat next to Kenny, Kyle leaned around him. Unconsciously, Kenny drew his sleeve over the hand with the ring. "What's the occasion?"

"Our birthday!" Kevin answered for the blond, and with a little excited shiver, he accidentally kicked the seat in front of him, waking up an Estella Havesham that had been dozing off. The British girl gave him one long drawn-out look over her shoulder before going back to her dozing state as her seatmate, Pip, just continued to listen to his music as he read his book. "Oops."

Kenny looked faintly surprised. "Happy birthday to the both of you then. I didn't know. I would've gotten you a present or some shit."

"It's probably gonna be 'some shit'," Cartman commented from his seat next to Stan behind Kyle and Kenny. Stan punched him in the shoulder. "OW! You know it's true!"

Kevin hummed pleasantly, still hopping up and down in his seat. "Oh, it's no big deal if you don't get me presents because you forgot. Esther and I always trade gifts on our birthdays as surprises to each other anyway, and this year, I got her something really special!"

"Wuh-w-w-what is it?" Jimmy, from his seat behind Kevin and Bradley and next to Jason Tucker, raised an eyebrow quizzically.

With a shooshing motion, Kevin pulled out his phone, and those in the proximity who were interested leaned closer as he scrolled through his phone pictures, looking for the image, until finally, the boy stopped on one image, and showed it to all of them. It was a picture of two pendants on a table, shaped in the yin yang - simple looking, but definitely beautiful. The black one looked like it was carved out of an onyx, and the white one out of an opal, so it was very pretty to look at.

Kenny made an appreciative hum as Kevin tucked his phone back into his pocket. "That must've cost a lot."

"Oh, it did," Kevin nodded earnestly. "I've been saving up all year for this one ever since I saw it at the shop, and now I got it! I'm so glad nobody else bought it, really." He sighed, holding the little present in his hands close to his chest. "I hope she likes it. She's probably going to get me something like the Blu-Ray of the latest Star Wars movie and that's gonna be great-"

"How are you so sure?" Bradley laughed.

Kevin stuck his tongue out at him. "You have no right to speak, you like my sister."

Bradley immediately shut up, bright alien pink eyes suddenly finding the floor of the bus very interesting.

"Anyway, as I was saying, it's gonna be a great gift, so I hope she thinks this is gonna be great too." Kevin scratched the back of his neck, suddenly feeling abashed. "I don't know what I'm gonna do if she doesn't like it..."

Kenny patted his shoulder. "Nonsense, dude. She's your sister. Siblings get on your nerves, but I know she'll like it. She nearly fucking murdered me when she thought I hurt you - she'll like anything from you."

"Thanks..." Kevin smiled softly. His fingers closed over the gift again.  _Essie..._

-=-

Esther Stoley was in a bad spot.

Lola had warned her about it, really - in that sleepy little voice of hers she'd come to recognize as her friend's.

_"They're bad company, Essie... I suggest you cut off all ties with them before you get yourself into a bad spot."_

_"What are you talking about?" Esther had shut her locker, confused at the sleepy brunette's words. Surprisingly enough, Lola looked more lucid than usual, even without her girlfriend around to remind her to not sleepwalk. "They're the new girls, and I'm just being nice and being their friend, since Wendy and Bebe were too busy to and the others had their own things. I only had that little Star Wars marathon with my brother, but we've already watched everything at least three times already. He won't mind."_

_Lola shook her head slowly, long brown locks draping over her shoulder and over her new green sweater as she clutched her books to her chest. "Essie... I don't like them... they give off bad vibes..."_

_"Can't possibly be as bad as Cartman, though." Esther shrugged as she shifted her books to her other arm. "Anyway, catch you later, Lo. They want me to go to the mall with them."_

_"But-"_

_"See ya!"_

And she hadn't listened.

Now, she was currently sitting on the steps in front of the school, on her birthday, looking and feeling very, very bored, as the new girls all chattered among themselves, doing their makeup, doing each other's makeup, flipping through magazines - typical girl stuff, really. Girly girl stuff, anyway. Esther would know - she and the other girls did this with each other a lot. But somehow, this felt... different. It was  _boring_. It might have been because they weren't really talking to her or anything unless it was time for them to go shopping and for her to treat them to frozen yogurt - they bought their own clothes with their own stupid credit cards, thank  _God_ for that - , but either way, Esther was still trying to be nice. Keyword being trying. They'd only been in South Park for a few weeks, after all.

However, much to her dismay, they were all, unfortunately, vain - if the makeup and constant looking in the mirror hadn't already been a clue -, and also, unfortunately rather dumb - one of them had asked in class what came after seven. She'd even heard Estella loudly voicing her disdain for their presence by calling them 'insignificant vagina-filth' right in the middle of chemistry class. Not that they got what she had meant, since Estella had verbosely decided to insult them right in front of the whole class and the teacher, but they'd at least managed to get the intent, and had told Esther never to associate with her.

_"But... she's..."_

_"She's WHAT, Es-ter?"_

_"She's Top Seven of the class. And sort of my friend." Well, as close to friends as they could get, really. They had completely different social circles, and Estella rarely hung out with the other girls, preferring the company of the dignified Gregory Sinclair and his gruff companion Christophe Delorne to the prissy listmaking of the girls. She thought Estella was pretty neat, though - maintaining elegance while managing to spew the crassest of insults._

_"Es-ter, she called us idiots." "No she didn't." "Shut UP, Ashlyn, you don't know anything!" "You're right, I'm sorry..."_

_Esther was alarmed. "Um... Ashlyn's right, actually, she didn't-"_

_"Ah, but she DID insult us! You wouldn't let her insult the new girls, would you? That's not being fair to us, we're NEW here!"_

_"Um..." Esther fiddled with her watch. "I... well. I guess not. I'll... I'll talk to her about it-"_

_"Nuh-uh, Es-ter. It's fine." A hand wave. "No need to talk to her anymore. We're just going to like, ignore her. And you are too."_

_"But... why? What's that supposed to do?"_

_"Prove that she doesn't belong in our presence." A hair flip. "Anyone who doesn't think we're superior is obviously stupid and dumb and blind to our bombacious beauty. And since you're here with us, that extends to you as well. The superiority, I mean, not the bombacious beauty. But you're passable."_

_"And you have a symmetrical face." "SHUT UP, ASHLYN!" "I'm sorry!"_

Esther touched the side of her face.  _Is my face really symmetrical?_

"You okay, Es-ter?" The Chinese-American girl looked up to meet the concerned eyes of Ashlyn. While just as dumb and vain as the rest of the new girls, Esther preferred Ashlyn over the others, mainly because they picked on her more, and she honestly felt sorry for her. And also because Ashlyn actually sometimes cared about her opinion on clothing and frozen yogurt flavors. The others just honestly liked to trash-talk her choices. She never could get her name right though. "You thinking about slicing your face in half?"

Esther just stared. "... No?"

"Oh. That was me, sorry." Ashlyn smiled, and returned to conversing with the others, as Esther slowly inched away, creeped out by her words.  _Was she seriously thinking of slicing my face in half? For what? To test its symmetry?_

"ESSIE!"

"Who's Essie?" One of the girls wrinkled their nose, and Esther's face paled.  _Oh no. Kevin._

"ESSIE!"

"Ew, who's  _that?"_ Another girl pointed at the approaching figure of Kevin Stoley, who was jogging up to where he had seen his sister with a bright smile on his face. He hadn't been able to talk to Esther at all in school for the past few weeks thanks to her hanging out with the 'new girls' - Craig had said 'new girls' with such disgust Kevin thought he would puke - , but now he had found her, and it was time to give her the present.  _It's technically jewelry, right? She could show it off to her new friends!_

Ashlyn leaned forward, looking interested. "He's kinda cute."

"Like, shut up, Ashlyn, he looks like a fucking nerd." One of them chastised as Kevin drew nearer. "You, nerd kid. Who the fuck are you?"

Kevin blinked - hadn't Esther mentioned him yet? "Um-"

"Kevin, what are you doing here?" Esther hadn't meant to sound so harsh, really, she hadn't, but she must have, because Kevin suddenly flinched back. "You should be home."

"You should be home too! Dismissal was an hour ago!" Kevin protested before remembering what he'd come here for. The light in his eyes returned as he held out his gift to Esther. "Here... for you, Esther! Happy birthday!"

Ashlyn looked at Esther, surprised. "Like, it's your birthday? Why didn't you say?"

"I did..." Esther muttered before reaching out to take the gift, touched that Kevin had gotten her something. He always got her something every year, like she with him, and it was always pleasant to know that it'd be a traditio- "Hey! That's my gift!"

The leader of the new girls fished the gift from Kevin's hands before tearing into it and pulling out the small box, opening it to reveal the tiny pendant. "Ew, what  _is_ this, some sort of witch's charm?"

"It's a good luck charm!" Kevin reached out for it, but the leader only pushed him to the ground, despite Esther's yells of protest. "H-hey, that's Esther's gift, don't-!"

"Aww, a present for your girlfriend?" The leader mocked before tossing the necklace to another girl, who laughed. "Catch, Bridget!"

"He's not my-!" Esther was attempting to grab for it as well, but the girls - minus Ashlyn, who had situated herself on the side - all played keep-away with the two Stoleys and the necklace, laughing and mocking both of them. Kevin looked close to tears as one of them whispered, "Oops!" and deliberately dropped the small pendant on the ground, breaking the chain into many, many pieces as she did so.

The pieces fell to the ground as silence befell the group.

"My... my present..." Kevin knelt down before the broken pieces of the pendant he'd meant to give to Esther, eyes watering. Esther whirled around to face the other girls, a fury igniting in her chest. "You bitches! That was my present, not yours! Who gave you the fucking right?!"

"Like, our friendship with you, duh." The leader rolled her eyes.

Kevin looked up at Esther, betrayed. "Esther... you're  _friends_ with these people? Really?"

"Kevin..." She didn't get a chance to defend herself - Kevin had already run away, leaving the pieces of the necklace on the ground. As he disappeared from sight, Esther turned to face the other girls, snarling viciously. To their credit, they stepped back. "Consider our friendship  _terminated_ , you slimy, good-for-nothing  _skanks!_ "

"You're the skank, skank- oof!" The leader only managed to get that much out before Esther had slapped her and kneed her in the groin, making her double over in pain, as Esther knelt down and picked up the pieces. It really was a pretty necklace.  _Kevin..._

She ran after Kevin, all the way home, leaving the girls to deal with their wounded leader and wounded pride.

-=-

_**"A sister, in a bad spot, and a brother with a gift mocked. A birthday of two, ruined."**_

With a soft sigh, Hawk Moth held out a hand, and a white butterfly perched on their palm. Just like before, their other hand covered the butterfly, and, through the power of their Miraculous, the butterfly became dark and corrupted once more.  _ **"Siblings shouldn't fight like this, especially on a birthday... perhaps, I can work this to my advantage. Get them to forgive each other... in exchange for what I want."**_

Hawk Moth cupped their hands together and blew gently at the now black butterfly, the insect flying above and away from them. " ** _Fly, my little one, and akumatize them!"  
_**

**-=-**

"Kevin, come on..."

Esther sat in front of the door to Kevin's room, her ear pressed to the door. Through the wood, she could hear her brother's quiet sobbing, and felt the tiniest pang of regret for her life decisions which had led up to the scenario earlier. It was a really pretty and thoughtful gift - and they'd acted like it was trash. It was a gift from her brother, they had no right to take it... and they had destroyed it right in front of her and him. Some friends they were.

She scoffed.  _Hah. FRIENDS. They're no friends of mine. Not anymore._

Her fingers touched the pendant in her pocket. It was half of the yin yang symbol, and really pretty, carved from onyx, the chain of the necklace supposedly going through a small hole near the top, near the white dot painted on the necklace. No doubt its partner pendant was with Kevin - she'd seen the identical necklace around Kevin's neck, for a split second, as he ran away in tears.

 _Kevin... I'm so sorry..._ Esther's own tears cascaded down her cheeks as she pressed her hand against the broken bits of her necklace tightly, and pressed her forehead to the door, eyes closing. On the other side of the door, Kevin had his back to the door, head against the wood, eyes closed and tears streaming down his cheeks, his fingers closed around the chain of his own pendant. Both of them cried - and through their tears, failed to notice the black butterfly that flew near them. The butterfly split in two, one sliding under the cracks of the door, and the other headed for Esther's pendant. Both butterflies hit the respective pendants at the exact same time. 

**_"Yin & Yang."_ **

From opposite sides of the door, Kevin and Esther both looked up, butterfly outlines on their faces.

 ** _"They say that together, we stand, and divided, we fall. You two may be complete opposites, but that doesn't mean you can't work together towards a common goal as siblings."_** Hawk Moth spread their arms out wide, as though about to give a hug.  _That's right... siblings will always be there for you... family should always be there for you..._  They pursed their lips before continuing. ** _"I'm giving you the balance you need to reach an agreement, to set the world on fire, to paint the town red - together, as siblings should. There will be no more society to decide what makes you cool or uncool. The only thing I ask of you is that you bring me the Miraculous."_**

The outline faded from Kevin's face first as he bared teeth. "It's time-"

The one on Esther's face faded next. "For us-"

"- to be  ** _strong together_**."

-=-

"Two akuma?!" Ladybug cursed before sailing after the first one. "Chat Noir, you go for the other one - I'll deal with this one!"

"Aye aye, milady!" Chat Noir saluted before bounding off.

With a determined look on their face, Ladybug chased after the black blur all over town, while Chat Noir chased his own white blur all around town as well. He had the harder job, since the weird white thing blended against the snowy white landscape of the mountain town, until finally, both superheroes found themselves standing on top of a roof together, panting.

"They're too fast!" Chat Noir wheezed, leaning on his bo staff. "And mine loves to camouflage in the snow."

"Mine's black and easy to spot, but still just as fast," Ladybug mentioned, wiping the sweat from their forehead. "I wonder what they're-"

"LADYBUG! CHAT NOIR!"

Two inhuman screeches rang through the air as the two heroes immediately went back to back with each other, looking around, as the two blurs they'd been chasing closed in on them, staring menacingly at the two heroes.

The one Ladybug was facing was a black scaled, dragon-like creature, with a long, serpentine body, flowing whiskers, and a wolf-like face, not quite unlike that of an Eastern dragon. The mane was white, as were its eyes, and the deer-like antlers which curled like flames above its head were tarnished silver. There rested one white spot on its forehead as it circled the second creature - the one Chat Noir had been chasing. The second creature was akin to a white phoenix. Where red flames would have been, now there were blazing blues. The birdlike creature had eyes of the blackest black, and a black spot on its forehead, its beak and talons the only things of a different color - golden.

"What is this, Animal Planet?" Chat Noir commented, splitting his bo staff into two again. "Or Spirited Away? These two look like they came out of a Chinese mythology book."

Ladybug flashed back to the report they were doing with Thomas, remembering some mythology and their origins. "They might actually  _be_ Chinese, though. I dunno for sure. Some guy wrote in a book about a guy in history doing research on old mythical creatures an' stuff."

"So are you saying we're dealing with mythical creatures?"

"Akumas in the shape of them, yes." Ladybug prepared their yoyo, spinning them around before going for the dragon shaped akuma. "Go for the bird one, Chat!"

"Alright, chicken butt, let's dance." Chat Noir grinned before running towards the phoenix-like creature.

"My name is YANG!" The phoenix creature shrieked before flapping its wings and rising into the air, each flap casting white-hot flames at Chat Noir, who only dodged them effortlessly. Meanwhile, Ladybug went for the dragon, who surprisingly enough only circled Ladybug slowly and deliberately, staring at them with empty white eyes. Ladybug only watched them warily, the dragon continuously circling them.

"Why do you fight?"

Ladybug's grip on their yoyo tightened. "What?"

"You two are inexperienced." The dragon, while its voice was deep, had a feminine lilt to it, unlike the phoenix, whose voice was more masculine in tone. "Weak."

The ladybug superhero didn't falter, but there was a questioning uncertainty in their voice as they said, "I don't know what you're talkin' about."

"Oh?" The dragon was suddenly all up in Ladybug's face, but she didn't attack or bite. She simply stared at Ladybug with eerie white eyes, aglow despite the daylight. "You two are new to this. You are no team - there is no synergy, no balance. You will fall, and with you, your little cat. Such is what keeps the balance... and such is your end."

Despite themself, Ladybug launched the yoyo at the dragon's throat, infuriated. "Shut up!"

"You know I am  ** _right_** , little ladybug!" The dragon roared, rising up into the air. "You are no team - you are two individuals facing a common goal! Unlike  ** _us!_** " The yoyo wrapped around her neck - but doing no damage - , she pulled Ladybug along with her, making the superhero yelp as she tossed her neck - and Ladybug along with it. The dragon then opened her jaws wide.

 ** _"No, Yin! Don't! Get the Miraculous first!"_** Hawk Moth pleaded, suddenly regretting the forms they'd given the two Stoley twins.

Chat Noir parried the phoenix - Yang's - furious attempts to peck at him, looking up. His green catlike eyes widened with horror as he yelled, "LADYBUG!" before smacking Yang with one half of the bo staff, disorienting him. With the bird distracted, Chat Noir recombined his bo staff before extending it as far as he could reach into the air, catching Ladybug in his arms just before the dragon - Yin - could swallow them whole.

"You have to stop falling for me, milady." Chat Noir said cheekily before making the bo staff collapse back into its smaller size. "It gets us into tricky situations."

Ladybug rolled their eyes before hopping out of his arms. "Sure, kitty. But thanks. That was a close one."

"I didn't think you would've been caught off guard like that. Are you okay?" Chat Noir voiced out his concern before his eyes widened, and he pulled Ladybug out of the way of a well-timed fireball coming from Yin. "Okay, wait, we need to- we need to have this conversation far away from the middle of town."

"Can't it wait until after the battle, Chat?!" Ladybug turned around, only to gasp as both of the mythical creature akuma began tossing around fire, beginning to set the town ablaze. The citizens of South Park all screamed as they ran out of the buildings, thankfully enough barely missing the carnage, and, much to the heroes' relief, no one was getting hurt. Yet. "Oh no! The town!"

Chat Noir cursed his bad luck - it  _was_ his power, but that didn't mean he couldn't curse it. "Shit. Okay. Okay, let's-"

 ** _"LUCKY CHARM!"_** Ladybug tossed their yoyo in the air in their desperation.

It came back down with...

"How charming. Is that shield for your cat in shining armor?" Chat Noir winked before Ladybug booped his nose with their free hand, rolling their eyes as they shifted their grip on the ladybug-spotted shield. It was large, and more than half of their size, and if the two superheroes crouched, they could definitely hide behind it. The ladybug-spotted outside seemed to shine with a strange material, as if it wasn't made from normal metal.

The sudden booping of the nose, catching him off guard, made his cheeks go a little pink under the mask as Ladybug examined the surroundings, oblivious to his slowly growing infatuation.

 _Hmm..._ Ladybug couldn't see anything at the moment. "Chat Noir, we need to get closer to them."

"I'm not letting you get torched. You're a ladybug, not a firefly."

"Hush, kitty. I'll be fine. I've got you, don't I?" At their words, Chat Noir really couldn't stop the redness in his cheeks as he nodded his affirmation, too flustered to say much of anything as he followed Ladybug to a spot on a building near Tom's Rhinoplasty, crouched behind a large treasure chest - a remnant of their Stick of Truth days.

With a click of their tongue, Ladybug muttered, "They're workin' together too well... yin and yang, always at balance." Ladybug narrowed their eyes at the two akuma, and, against the blazing flames, they saw something. "... Chat Noir, do you see that?"

"The blazing hot flames signifying both the burning of the town and how my heart burns for you?"

Ladybug hit him.

Chat Noir rubbed his shoulder ruefully. "Okay, I deserved that. But what did you mean, milady?"

"Look... 'round their necks. It kinda looks like something's hangin' from them." As both heroes narrowed their eyes, thanks to enhanced vision, they saw them - two identical looking pendants, hanging around both Yin and Yang's long necks. Two very familiar necklaces. Both heroes cursed mentally, recognizing their friends, before they looked at each other and agreed quietly - the akuma was in the necklaces.

Ladybug looked at the surroundings again, until it clicked.

_Risk your neck and dive under the flames of Yin with the shield._

_Deflect the flames with the shield towards Yang._

_Start a fight between them._

_With them turning on each other, it should be easy to get them down and snag the necklaces with a pole and a well-timed Cataclysm._

_Got it!_

"Chat Noir, I need you t'trust me!" Ladybug broke away from their partner, dragging the shield along, despite Chat Noir's yelped protests. Ducking behind a flaming tree, they waited for Yin's flames to bear down on their location from above, and with a quiet murmur of "I hope this works...", they threw themselves out. Thanks to the large flames, Yin didn't see the ladybug-spotted shield as they turned to face a different direction to set on fire, but the flames hit the shield square in the center. The power of the Ladybug Miraculous's Lucky Charm then made the flames bounce off in a different direction.

All the way towards Yang.

An earsplitting screech rang in the air, and everyone still in the area looked up to see Yang turning his flames on Yin's black scales, making  _her_ screech as well. The two mythical akuma, as Ladybug predicted, turned on each other, blasting flames at each other instead of the town - though it  _was_ still getting set on fire thanks to excess flame.

 _Come on...  come on..._ Ladybug was banking on them heading straight for the nearest telephone poles as La Lechuza had, and, much to their delight, they  _did_. Time for Phase 2. "Chat Noir, the telephone pole! Stun them!"

"The- oh!" Chat Noir, from his spot on the roof, saw what his lady was referring to, and grinned cattily. " ** _CATACLYSM!_** "

With the destructive magic in-claw, Chat Noir bounded towards the telephone poles the two akuma were duking out next to, and slammed his clawed hand on the pole's base. It rusted, and snapped in half, falling over and smacking Yin right in the face while tangling Yang in its wires. Both creatures fell to the ground in a cacophony of monstrous shrieks.

As Ladybug made their way over with the shield, Chat Noir made quick work of snapping the necklace chains off their necks before tossing it in Ladybug's direction. "Here, milady, a fifth akumaversary present, just for you!"

"Aww, for me? Y'shouldn' have, ya silly cat!" Ladybug cooed before catching the necklaces in their hand and crushing the yin and yang charms in their hands. From the crushed bits of the charms, two black butterflies fluttered out. With two quick swipes of their yoyo, both were captured inside Ladybug's yoyo. "No more evildoing for you, little akuma - time to de-evilize!"

Because they had started out as one whole butterfly, only one white butterfly came out, now purified, which soon flew off. "Bye bye little butterfly," Ladybug whispered as they grabbed the shield and threw it into the air. " ** _MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!_ "**

Thanks to the red magic that had once been the shield, the burning wreckage of the town soon got remedied, the flames and the destroyed buildings all returning to normal. What few injuries and burns sustained by the unlucky citizens had been remedied enough that it was like nothing happened, though Ladybug hadn't been sure if anyone had been directly hurt at all, actually. If they found out, they would have probably been consumed with guilt.

The magic danced over the two pendants, restoring them to normal, just as the black magic of the akumatization left Kevin and Esther, who both sat up, confused, while Ladybug smiled, and held out a fist to Chat Noir. With a catty grin, Chat Noir gave them a fistbump, and together, they both said, "Pound it!"

"What am I doing here...?" Kevin rubbed at an eye, before looking up at Ladybug and Chat Noir. "... Ladybug? Chat Noir?"

Ladybug gave him a gentle smile before nodding at Esther, who had gathered her bearings and was now staring at Kevin, lower lip wobbling. At their gaze, Kevin followed it to the face of his sister, and with a quiet 'oh', he only had about three seconds to form a sentence before his sister started crying and threw herself at him, knocking both of them to the ground.

"I think we should leave them to make amends, no?" Ladybug commented with a smile to Chat Noir, just as their Miraculouses beeped.

"Wait. Ladybug. Before we leave."

"Chat..." Ladybug reached up to an earring nervously.

Chat Noir covered his ring as well, worried. "This'll be quick. I just- we need to talk. Tonight. Somewhere, anywhere, about today."

"Chat-"

" _Please,_ Ladybug. We need to talk." Chat Noir's green eyes were pleading for their acquiescence. "I'll meet you on top of South Park Elementary's roof. Tonight. Please."

Ladybug fidgeted; they weren't allowed out at night or they'd get grounded. "Chat, my parents..."

"They won't have to know. You can sneak out. Please, we need to talk as partners."

**_You are no team - there is no synergy, no balance. You will fall, and with you, your little cat._ **

The red and black-spotted hero looked down, and pulled out their yoyo. "Alright. Tonight. South Park Elementary's rooftop."

"Thank you, milady." Chat Noir smiled with relief before they both pulled away to detransform.

-=-

"You are sure you are alright, Master?"

"I'm fine, Wayzz," Mr. Garrison snapped before wincing as he checked the burn on the back of his right hand. Despite Ladybug's Miraculous Cure, there would always still be a few unfixed problems, especially since the person behind the mask, Butters, was still technically new to the job, having tucked Yin and Yang as only the fifth akuma they'd dealt with so far. "Damn burn biting at me, is all."

The turtle kwami offered the burn ointment to the old man, who took it gladly. "The akumas made by the previous Hawk Moth weren't usually this dangerous."

"You mean not as destructive, right?" Mr. Garrison replied dryly. He sat down at his desk as Wayzz floated around. The windows were closed, the curtains drawn, and the door to the classroom was locked, so nobody could see the current Guardian talking to his kwami. "I read up on the last person who used the Moth Miraculous for bad, and the akumas that spawned. They were just as dangerous and destructive, but this is-"

"A whole new level." Wayzz was grim. "Have you considered-"

"I have." Mr. Garrison pulled out the music box from the hidden drawer in his desk, and, after a few minutes, plucked the Fox Miraculous and the Peacock Miraculous from their places in the holder. Rummaging around the bottom level of the music box, he pulled out two small octagonal black boxes, with red engravings, and placed the Fox Miraculous and the Peacock Miraculouses in them, shutting them tightly, before returning the other Miraculous to the hidden drawer in his desk and sealing it with defensive Miraculous magic.

Wayzz looked amused. "Trixx and Duusu?"

"Maintain the balance, yadda yadda. Foxes and their lies, peacocks and their truths. You fucking told me this before." The old man slipped the boxes into his pockets. "If one of them's out, the other's gotta be out too. But I'm probably going to just send the fox out first."

The kwami did a flip in midair. "You want to stir up trouble between Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"Always did like my drama." Mr. Garrison laughed. He'd read about the drama caused by Volpina - an akumatized girl who had been disguised as the fox superhero while the Miraculous were in the hands of a man in Paris, who had been one of the previous Guardians - and the resulting fox superheroine after her, Rena Rouge, who had fixed the name of the fox after what Volpina had done to drag it in the dirt. "But nothing dangerous, like that Volpina bitch, of course. I know the perfect person to give this to."

If Wayzz had eyebrows, he would have raised them. "Who?"

"It's a surprise." Mr. Garrison waggled his eyebrows, and Wayzz laughed, because both of them knew  _exactly_ who the Miraculous would go to. They'd already discussed it before, and Wayzz had scouted out said person after the current Jade Turtle had mentioned him. He was going to be a perfect fox Miraculous holder. "Now come on, Wayzz. I'm getting us dinner and a treat from that nice new store."

The kwami's mouth watered. "The one with the chocolate covered strawberries?"

"You're predictable."

"They're delicious."

"Come on, you nut."

-=-

His lady was late.

Kenny paced the rooftop in his Chat Noir guise, the only things currently occupying his thoughts being Karen, Kevin, and Ladybug.

And Plagg's annoying little voice.

Really, he'd been trying to tune him out for weeks now, every time he'd been out and about in his Chat Noir getup, even without an akuma running around. It was somehow different, running around town at night as Chat Noir, than when he was running around as Mysterion. As Mysterion, he felt the lingering weight of his curse hanging over him, and it made him feel more like brooding as he jumped the roofs and scoured the town for any evildoers. _Sort of like Batman,_ Clyde - no, Mosquito - had joked, and Token - TupperWear - had decked him for it.

 _It **is** sort of like Batman, though_, Kenny had agreed later on, laughing with the brunet. Batman was a brooding rich kid. Mysterion was a brooding immortal. He liked to think there were at least  _some_ similarities.

As Chat Noir, however... Kenny found within him a sense of freedom that being Mysterion could never bring him. Plagg had told him that he believed that the Miraculous could counter his curse - he wasn't  _sure_ it would happen, but he believed it to be so. That meant Kenny, whenever he was Chat Noir - and possibly even when he was just wearing the ring - was just as mortal as anyone else in the town.

And he  _loved_ it. Hated it too, but he loved it all the same.

Mortality was something he was all too much aware of. Dying loads of times sort of did that to you. To be able to die many times and to come back just as many times was not something everyone could do, but Kenny would never wish it on anyone. Not even Cartman. No one deserved the burden of an endless plethora of deaths and trips to both Heaven and Hell. Mostly Hell.

Kenny went out often as Chat Noir, relishing in the strange feeling of freedom the leather catsuit gave him. And best of all, those who saw him recognized him as a good guy, and didn't fuck with him. It might have been because of the fact that he could use Cataclysm on anyone anytime he wanted, but he'd never do that. Cataclysm destroyed literally everything - he'd hate to know what it did to a human.

"Chat?"

"Grk-" Kenny stumbled, but soon recovered, slipping right back into his Chat Noir persona - not too far off from his own, really, but a lot more... on the romantic, flirty side. Must come with the territory. "Milady. I was wondering if you stood me up."

Ladybug's sweet blues were serious as they returned their yoyo to their hip. "I promised I'd talk to you, and here I am. A good partner always listens to their partner."

"Oh." This was... unusual. Ladybug had always been pretty receptive to his jokes each time they got around to meeting each other - which was each time there was an akuma attack. And there had been five total akuma so far - all of them in his batch, no less. Chat Noir wondered if their batch was a magnet for akumas specifically, before remembering that he'd asked Ladybug out here. Tentatively he went to the side of the roof, and sat down, patting the spot next to him. "Sit?"

The red and black-spotted superhero sat down next to him, and together, both of them surveyed the town. It was quiet tonight in South Park, after Yin and Yang. It always was after an akuma attack. Chat Noir liked to think it was a break from the stress of the earlier akuma attack. As they looked down, both heroes saw Skeeter Tucker taking out the trash from his bar, and what looked like Damien and Pip, having a quiet night stroll together. All in all, a strangely average night for the town of South Park.

"It's so peaceful, ain't it?" Ladybug's voice broke the silence as Chat Noir turned to look at them. The pigtailed superhero didn't meet his gaze as they continued to survey the town. "So quiet. So unlike South Park. It's almost like a normal mountain town."

Chat Noir let out a snort. "I mean, I guess. If you call a formerly dead boy walking around with the son of Satan on a nice moonlit stroll normal."

"I did say almost."

Silence.

"... Milady?" Ladybug's eyes flickered to him. "You were distracted today. I mean, we've only ever really faced like... five akuma, but you were particularly distracted today." Green eyes filled with concern. "Care to enlighten this kitten on what happened?"

A sigh. Ladybug drew their knees up to their chin, hugging them. "It's nothin' that important."

"It could have cost you your life," Chat Noir said seriously. "Please. You can tell me. I'm your partner, aren't I? I won't laugh."

_I'm your partner, aren't I?_

**_You are no team - you are two individuals facing a common goal!_ **

"Chat... are we a team?"

Chat Noir blinked once. Twice. And then held up a hand to his chest in mock offense. "Why, milady, I should hope so! Unless these akuma attacks have been means for romantic rendezvous-"

"This is serious!" Ladybug faced him, and his joking demeanor faded at the intensity of their blue eyes, blazing with the flames of irritation, and what looked like a desperate need for reassurance. He quieted immediately. "Chat, are we a team?"

"Of course we are." He answered honestly. "Ladybug and Chat Noir. We're partners. We're a team."

"How are you so sure?"

"I know we're a team, because I never doubt you." Chat Noir tapped his chest area with a claw, referring to his heart. "From the day I first met you, fighting La Lechuza... I followed your orders. I could've not listened, y'know? But I did." He smiled - not a catlike grin, a sweet, heartwarming smile. One that, had it been on Kenny's face, in Ladybug's opinion, they would have melted on the spot. "I trusted you. And that's what teammates do. Sure, we're still new to this. But that's why we're here for each other - to help each other learn."

Ladybug's eyes widened. Somehow, Chat Noir had managed to hit nearly every single nail on the head with his heartfelt explanation. It felt... strangely comforting. Despite themself, a genuine smile painted itself on their face. "... Thanks, Chat Noir. I dunno how you managed to say everything I needed to hear... but y'did. It's... so weird."

"Maybe it's because I know you enough, milady." Chat Noir offered. "We've only met five times prior to this, but from those five times, I've learned how you are in battle, and how you react to some stuff. You probably know that stuff about me as well."

"I... yeah, you're right... I... I actually do...?"

"See?" Chat Noir spread out his arms. "That's what being partners is all about. Being a team. We learn about each other and all that funny business. But, y'know, milady... this doesn't mean we're friends." This time, he looked away. "...  _Are_ we friends, milady?"

Ladybug gave him a quiet stare. "..."

"..." Chat Noir felt their burning gaze on him, and glanced at his partner. He turned a little red, seeing how intently Ladybug was staring at him. It was downright... adorable. "... Um, you don't... you don't need to answer that if it makes you feel-"

Ladybug stuck out a hand.

"... M-milady?"

"If we're going to be friends, we need to shake on it." Ladybug said seriously, their hand still outstretched to Chat Noir. "That's how friendships start officially, I think. But really, I already think we're friends, since we're partners." They smiled gently, and, in the moonlight, Kenny admired their sweet baby blues. They were soft and wide with a strange sort of childlike curiosity absent from most people his age, and yet they were filled with the maturity of a teen thrust into the role of town superhero and was adjusting nicely to it. It made his heart thump. Loudly. "You're right. You trusted me, and that's what makes you my teammate, and partner. And... I trust you too. From the beginning, I think... I always have."

Involuntarily, his leather belt tail swung around as though he was wagging it as he turned to face Ladybug, eyes wide. "That's... milady..."

"Just shake my hand, Chat." Ladybug reminded. "It's not going to do anything since we're already friends, but-"

Chat Noir eagerly shook their hand with his own, relishing in the warm feeling of their gloved palm against his own. Despite the cloth of their outfits, he could feel Ladybug's warmth permeate through it, and it was soothing, almost like a fireplace in the Christmastime. He tried not to think about how much he liked holding Ladybug's hand. "I'm just- I'm really glad-"

"I know, kitty. I'm glad for you too." Ladybug laughed, a sweet, windchime laugh, and cocked their head to the side, the moonlight dancing in their hair and framing their face in such a pretty manner that took Chat Noir's breath away. He lifted a hand discreetly to his chest as Ladybug turned to face the town again, now looking more serene.

_Whoever's under that mask..._

_No matter who it is..._

_... I love them._

_**~ End of CH.7: Yin and Yang ~** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so thanks to sapotis i am now aware that you can akumatize two people with one object
> 
> and those girls? they're probably never appearing again, beside ashlyn every now and then


	8. Brother Bear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this got longer than i thought it would

Supposedly, one's first agenda of every day was to get ready for school.

This morning, Kenny's first agenda was to fight an akuma.

Chat Noir's heels skidded across the concrete as he fended off the endless barrage of silicon with the rapid spinning of his bo staff, struggling against it. The latest akuma, after the mess that had been Yin and Yang, was not a native to South Park -  a plastic surgeon who'd been hoping to swindle money out of the rednecks of the town, only to be humiliated by one of the workers of Tom's Rhinoplasty. Kenny knew it wasn't Mrs. Marsh - the woman was too nice to do something like that - , so it must have been someone else.

"Come on, Chat Noir! I just want to see if we can't fix up that ugly muzzle of yours!" Silicon Soldier crowed, firing another blast of silicon at the superhero. One blast of it, and one would find their most unattractive feature (in their personal opinion) highlighted for all to see.

Chat Noir bristled, but otherwise continued to dodge and jump out of the way. Behind Silicon Soldier, he could see Ladybug gearing up to snatch the akumatized guy's object - his ID card. "Hey, I happurrn to be one of the most eligible bachelors in this meowntain town! And it's all natural!"

"Nothing a little silicon can't fi- hey!" Silicon Soldier was caught off guard by Ladybug's yoyo's string rounding around him and tying him up, knocking him to the ground. With a sigh of relief, Chat Noir straightened out as Ladybug made quick work of the ID, and the akuma, purifying the plastic surgeon back to normal, and fixing the town again. With that finished, both of them fist bumped each other, before running away to detransform.

Chat Noir, on his end, ducked behind the nearest dumpster, just as the last light on his Miraculous beeped out. The destructive magic turned him back into Kenny, and with a groan, Plagg flopped down on Kenny's palms.

"That was tiring. Can I get some Camembert, please?" Plagg requested, rolling over to face Kenny.

Kenny sighed. "Plagg, you know I can't just buy that stuff whenever. I do, however, have regular cheese." Fishing it out of his pocket, he dangled the small chunk of cheese in front of the kwami, who snatched it up and nibbled at it as the blond tucked him back inside his hoodie. "Stay there, okay? I'm late for school."

"Late for meeting with your little boyfriend, you mean?" Plagg commented as Kenny walked towards the local high school, hands in his pockets, and parka's hood up.

The blond scoffed. "You don't possibly mean Kyle, do you?"

"Listen, kid, even I'm not that dumb to not notice he and your other best friend have the obvious hots for each other," The kwami snarked. "I was talking about the shorter one. Tiny, blue eyed boy blunder?"

"Boy blunder is Thomas, and... wait, you mean Leo?" Kenny visibly paused before laughing quietly, his laughter muffled by his parka. "He's just a friend."

"And I'm a flying pig."

"You might as well be, you little shit. You're eating all of our cheese!"

Plagg made a noncommittal noise as his chosen passed through the main entrance to the school. "Whatever. Not like you guys eat them anyway since they're all stinky and you're all picky."

"Whatever, Plagg. I'm going to class, so shush." And with that, Kenny jogged to first period, opening the door to- "What the fuck?"

The teacher inside looked like he had been expecting him. "Mister McCormick. A PLEASURE that you could join us for today's class. PLEASE, take a seat next to Miss Stevens." He gestured to Bebe, who wiggled her fingers in Kenny's direction with a wink, and with a sigh, he took his seat next to her, just as someone  _else_ burst through the door, panting. "And Mister Stotch. What a surprise. You've NEVER been late to my class before."

"Sor- s-sor- wait-" Butters wheezed, leaning against the doorway. "Sorry I'm late, Mister- Mister-"

"Sit DOWN, Mister Stotch, no more DILLY-DALLYING!" The man reprimanded, and with a tired sigh, the blond slugged over to his seat next to Kyle, who looked up at the teacher's words before giving Butters a smile and patting his back. "Now, as I was saying before we were GRACED by the WONDERFUL presences of Mister McCormick and Mister Stotch-"

"You're never late," Kyle mentioned, scribbling in his notebook before glancing over at Butters. "What happened?"

"Akuma- attack-" Butters laid his head on his desk, absolutely exhausted. Today's akuma had been absolutely draining, what with a lot of the residents of South Park not safely nestled within their homes all begging Ladybug and Chat Noir to save them and their silicon-reformatted faces. He had felt the Miraculous Cure taking away a  _lot_ of Tikki's energy, to the point that the kwami was now snoozing in his bag, dead tired as he was from running and jumping around. "Too- tired to talk-"

Kyle patted his back before returning to his scribbles, and with a sigh, Butters turned his head to the side, just watching his friend scribble rapidly. As their drama teacher began to discuss the day's lesson, Butters let his attention be captured by Kyle's rapid scribbling, the boy's brow furrowed as he occasionally glanced between his notebook and his phone, though for what reason, Butters couldn't fathom.  _Wonder what's got him all worked up._

"Hey, Leo."

Immediately, Butters felt the back of his neck grow hot. He stammered a response. "Y-yeah?"

Kenny's brows were furrowed with concern as he reached over from his seat next to Token, a hand on Butters's arm. The shorter blond tried not to shriek. "Just checking if you're okay and all... you look exhausted."  _Wonder what happened to him... had he been caught up in the akuma attack too?_ Mentally, Kenny cursed himself for not being there to protect the little guy from Silicon Soldier.  _Shit. He might have been one of Silicon Soldier's victims and I didn't even notice because of the shitty glow-up the akuma gave everyone._ "Were you in the akuma attack too?"

_You have no idea, Ken..._ "Y-yeah, sorta... had to hide somewhere before it got all worse an' all. Th' guy hit me once, and once was enough."

"Damn."  _Shit. You're a superhero, and you forgot to protect your friend. Some bitchass superhero you are._ "That must have been really bad. You feeling better?"

Butters cracked a tiny smile, feeling heat rush to his cheeks. Was it normal to feel this giddy about a friend's concern for you? Absolutely not. This was bad. He had it bad. "Y-yeah... thanks for askin', Ken. Tha's sweet." Beat. Suddenly, a frown crossed his face. "Hey, weren'tcha late too? Were you in the... akuma attack too?"  _Gosh darn it if he was! I missed him! I could've protected him!_

_SHIT._ "Uh, funny thing, actually-"

"IF the two LATECOMERS are finished discussing their TROUBLES?"

Both blonds flushed red as they suddenly realized the presence of their teacher, directly in front of them, arms crossed, an eyebrow raised, drumming his fingers on his arm. The rest of the class snickered, besides a select few - that included Kyle, who was way too busy with whatever was in his notebook to really do much about the whole thing. Stan was frowning as he watched the teacher say, "HONESTLY, you two. You come in LATE to my class, then REFUSE to LISTEN? I expected BETTER from the BOTH of you."

"Sorry, Mr. Goodplay..."

"We're real sorry..."

Mr. Goodplay sniffed. "I should HOPE so. Please, pay better attention from NOW ON." Going back to the front of the class, the teacher then continued with his discussion, while the two blonds settled back into their seats, mostly content with themselves, and also slightly distraught they didn't help the other during the akuma attack. "Now, as I was SAYING..."

-=-

"You've been stuck on that all day, Kyle," Nichole teased, nudging the hatted ginger. "What's got you so fixated?"

Silence.

"... Kyle?"

More silence.

"KYLE!" Bebe hollered from across the table.

Kyle fumbled, dropping his pen and making an unsightly line across the notebook page. With a growl, he looked up at Bebe. "WHAT?!"

"Hi." Bebe greeted with a bright smile.

"... Is that all?"

"I'd say more, but you're getting really into whatever the hell you're doing over there, little boy green." Bebe motioned for the notebook, and with a sigh, Kyle slid it over to her. Wendy looked over her shoulder as Bebe flipped idly through the notebook pages, an eyebrow raised. "These are all little doodles of Ladybug. And a few of Chat Noir." She squinted. "And... a few doodles of... Stan?"

Wendy snickered as Kyle's cheeks turned red. "Don't mind those. That's- those aren't-"

"Don't bust a blood vessel, Broflovski, I was joking." The blonde laughed before winking at him. Kyle immediately understood that as 'I am absolutely not joking at all', and turned a furious red before groaning and burying his face in his arms, crossed on the lunch table. Nichole only laughed as she patted his shoulder while Bebe critiqued, "You know, these aren't half bad, Kyle. I didn't peg you to be an artist."

Stan chugged his soda before mentioning, "He's a great artist. Probably just as good as any of the other art kids in this school."

"Brownie points aren't gonna get you shit from me, Stan." Kyle groused, but he was smiling, flattered.

"What's with all the doodles of Ladybug, though?" Wendy asked curiously, fingers tracing over the darker shades of Chat Noir's lithe form, darting across the sketchy rooftops alongside Ladybug. The particular drawing Wendy was looking at wasn't so much a doodle as it was a two-notebook page spread, with Ladybug dominating the first page and sailing through the air on their yoyo, and the second page dedicated entirely to Chat Noir. The cat hero appeared to be shadowing his lady, but not in any nefarious way. "And Chat Noir, by extension, but mostly Ladybug."

Kenny leaned over, and whistled appreciatively. "Nice art. You managed to capture Chat Noir's suaveness and Ladybug's grace." At his words, Butters visibly snorted, making Kenny glance in his direction, an eyebrow raised. "What was that for?"

"Chat Noir and suaveness in th'same sentence?" The shorter blond rolled his eyes, unwrapping his sandwich with one hand. The other hand slipped Tikki a sweet inside his bag while Tikki pushed his juicebox to his hand for him to grab in its place. "Are we talkin' 'bout the same kitty cat?"

Nichole giggled as Kenny looked a little defensive. "Are you saying Chat Noir isn't suave?"

"Well, y'gotta admit he's tryin'." Butters laughed, sighing mentally.  _Ain't nobody as suave as you, Ken. Not even Chat._ "But he's... eh. Not exactly doin' it for me."

"Oh?"  _Maybe I should pay li'l Leo a li'l visit tonight, see if I can't try to improve the ol' McCormick charm. And maybe..._ Ladybug's face flashed in Kenny's mind.  _Maybe I can... ask him for pointers?_ "And what does it for you, little Leo?"

Butters immediately turned bright red, swallowing, while the other girls laughed. "I-I-"

"Kenny?"

SIlence.

A light lit up in Kenny's eyes as he leaned back and glanced behind him, where his little sister, Karen, stood, pretty green blue eyes filled with an equal amount of delight to see one of her older brothers as she held her lunch tray in her hands. Flanking her on either side, holding their own lunch trays, were Craig and Kyle's younger siblings, and behind the three of them, everyone at the table could see Firkle lingering behind them, as if guarding the rear. It was a funny sight. "Kareeee. How is my favorite sister?"

"I'm your only sister!" Karen laughed before Ruby nudged at her again, reminding her what she was there for. With a sigh, Karen asked, "Hey, Ken?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you, um..." Karen fidgeted. "Did Kevin... text you or anything?"

Kenny raised an eyebrow, and pulled out his phone. Immediately, he winced. "Ten missed calls. Shit."

"Oh no..." Karen winced as well. "I forgot to answer him because I was playing kickball with the others, and he probably thinks something happened to me... so he called you. And then  _you_ didn't answer, and-"

Stan cocked his head to the side. "Since when was Kevin McCormick overprotective?"

"Since forever," Both McCormicks answered him offhandedly before Kenny added, "It got like,  _way_ more intense when we moved out of the house together. He won't even let us get near our parents anymore because he's scared they'll take custody away from him."

Wendy frowned. "They  _are_ your legal parents, after all."

"But they're white trash and always in trouble," Bebe amended. "I, for one, think this is a better development for you three. Means I can visit without fear." She reached over to ruffle Karen's hair, making the girl giggle before ducking away a little.

By her side, Ruby raised an eyebrow at the pensive look on Karen's face at the mention of their parents, and opened her mouth to speak. "She was wondering if you two could walk home together today. She's going to skip out on our hangout today just for Kevin."

"I... yeah, I guess that'd be- we need to reassure him, Kare," Kenny sighed, already thinking of the million and one ways Kevin could freak out about today.  _Shit. Did he even manage to get any work done today if he was worrying about both of us?_ "Sure, we'll walk home together. I'll meet you at the entrance later during final bell, alright?"

"Alright, Kenny!" Karen pecked his cheek before gesturing for the others to follow. "C'mon guys, let's go eat lunch outside!"

As the siblings walked away, Kenny turned his focus back to the others, who were watching Kyle again. The boy had returned to his doodling the moment the girls' eyes and attention had been taken away from his notebook, and was now currently doodling something new. Looking closely, it was another Ladybug bust.

Bebe, being the first to notice besides Kenny, groaned. "Kyle, seriously. You have a crush on Ladybug or something?"

Butters, from his seat in between Wendy and Stan, choked on his sandwich.

 -=-

The moment the McCormick siblings stepped foot inside their living room, the lights went out. Karen immediately ducked behind Kenny, cowering as she clutched at a part of his jacket, shutting her eyes, while Kenny only sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets.  _Stupid electricity... we already paid the bills this month, damn it._ Slowly, he took Karen's hand and felt along the wall, looking for the circuit breaker, before managing to find it in the darkness and thinking,  _Crossed fingers that I don't die right now_. With a swallow, he switched it off, then on again, and, miraculously, the lights went back to normal.

_Guess it does cancel out my dying all the time, somehow,_ Kenny mused mentally, running his pinkie over the Miraculous discreetly. "It's okay now, Kare. Lights are back."

"Are they?" Karen opened one eye, and sighed in relief. "Thank goodness... but where's Kevin?"

"I think the question here should be 'where were the both of you'."

Kenny flinched and immediately ducked into a stance many usually associated with Mysterion, hovering in front of Karen protectively at the voice. Once it registered that it was just their older brother, however, Kenny sighed in relief, and straightened out, running his fingers through his hair. "Kev. You scared me."

" _You_ scared  _me._ Why weren't both of you answering the phone?" The eldest McCormick sibling leaned against the doorway to their bedrooms, an eyebrow raised and a frown on his face. As Kenny's gaze traveled down to his knuckles, he winced a little, seeing how bloody they were.  _He must have been punching out his worry again... shit. Did he break another wall?_ "Kenny, answer me."

Kenny sighed yet again. "Kev, I was probably in class. And Karen was-"

"Do you have any idea how worried I was, you two?" Kevin frowned harder. "Especially after today's akuma attack? And then none of you answered the phone, on top of all that! Did you honestly think I wouldn't think something happened?"

The blond groaned. "You're overreacting."

"And  _you're_ underreacting." Kevin pushed himself up to walk closer to them, arms crossed. "You can't be too careful nowadays. You two know this. Especially with the akuma attacks happening around here. You could've been hostages, or victims of the latest akuma, or-"

Karen attempted to answer timidly, "But we're fine, Kevin-"

"Well, I didn't know that, did I? Because none of you answered my call! Seriously, we buy good functional phones for once but both of you don't answer!" Kevin threw his arms up in the air, frustrated. "What even is the point?!"

Kenny moved away from Karen, who took a few paces back as he squared up against Kevin. "Listen, Kev, you're overreacting, for real. You're beginning to sound like Sheila Broflovski and you and I both know that means it's fucking serious." He prodded his older brother in the chest with a finger. "We can't always have our phones on hand-"

"Then what's the point of a phone, Kenny?" Kevin loomed over his younger brother, scowling. "Phones are for three things - calling, texting, and videogames, battery permitting. And the last one isn't as important as the first two."

"Phones aren't just for - look, see, you're overreacting. You're Sheila Broflovski now." Kenny was pretty sure Kyle would have decked him had he heard this conversation go down in front of him. "I don't even understand why you're overreacting when we're fine right now-"

"But what if you weren't?!" Kevin's voice rose an octave. "I wouldn't have known that unless you called me-"

"As I said, we  _can't have our phones on us all the time-"_

"Then why own a fucking phone then?!"

"Because everyone fucking - we're rehashing the same topic over and over Kev-"

"I wouldn't be reiterating time and time again if you just  _saw the point-"_

"WHAT POINT?!"

"THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE ABOUT YOU TWO NOT ANSWERING THE PHONE AND WORRYING ME SICK!"

"I'VE SAID IT A MILLION TIME ALREADY - YOU'RE OVERREACTING-"

"I think I'm just gonna... hide in my room..." Karen mumbled nervously, fear for both her brothers dawning on her face as she backed away and skittered around the sofas and behind Kevin to duck into her room, locking the door behind her and leaning against it, sinking down to the floor. Her hands trembled as she clasped them together, her ears trained on the argument outside her door, and with a shuddered sigh, she closed her eyes.  _Fighting..._ _I hate fighting..._

Quietly, Karen opened her phone, and scrolled to the text messages, rereading Kevin's text, and the subsequent missed calls, before sighing.  _I hate it when family fights..._ _I can't stay here..._ With a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach, Karen checked to see if her brothers could hear her by pressing an ear to the door -  _no... they're still fighting, they can't hear me..._ \- before heading for the window, and slowly climbing out into their backyard, before running out.

"FUCKING SHIT, KEVIN, YOU CAN'T BABY US LIKE THIS ANYMORE, WE'RE NOT KIDS ANYMORE! I'M NEARLY TALLER THAN YOU!"

"YOU'RE STILL MY YOUNGER SIBLINGS! I'M YOUR LEGAL GUARDIAN AND YOUR BIG BROTHER, IT'S MY JOB TO-"

" ** _FUCK YOUR JOB, AND FUCK YOU! YOU COULDN'T PROTECT US WORTH SHIT FROM OUR PARENTS, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN PROTECT US NOW?!"_**

A door slam. Karen willed herself not to cry as she ran.

Back in the house, Kevin stood in front of Kenny's room's door, and with a frustrated yell, he punched the wall. The wood splintered below his fist, but not enough to punch a hole through to Kenny's room. With a wince, he pulled out his fist, and checked the hole.  _... Shit. That's more expense. But..._ He looked back to the door, gaze darkening, before stalking to his room and slamming his own door.

"That was some argument, kid." Plagg commented, peeking out of Kenny's parka. "You may wanna check your temper."

"I know... I know." Kenny inhaled, and exhaled, before feeling guilty. Kevin had only been looking out for them... but he'd lashed out, and basically stomped on nearly everything Kevin stood for - his siblings, and his job to protect them.  _Shit... I fucked up. I fucked up._ With a groan, Kenny palmed his face. "Aw man, Plagg. I can't do this. I need to get outta here."

"Where are you even gonna go?"

"The park. Somewhere. Anywhere. I'm gonna go to the guys. Maybe." Kenny pulled out his phone as he left his room, looking up Kyle's number, only to pause, looking up at the two doors down the hall - Kevin and Karen's, sitting right across from each other. With a guilty sigh, he found Kyle's number, and dialed.  _Maybe hanging out with the guys will help me chill out before I..._ His gaze flitted over to Kevin's door.  _Kevin... yeah. Maybe Kyle will have advice for me, he has a brother._

_"Hello? Kenny?"_

"Hey, Kyle? Listen..."

-=-

_**"The pain of a brother who only wishes for his siblings to be safe... misunderstandings can bloom from overprotective actions, and from misunderstandings, arguments."** _

With a soft sigh, Hawk Moth held out a hand, and a white butterfly perched on their palm. Just like before, their other hand covered the butterfly, and, through the power of the Miraculous, the butterfly became corrupted once again. Hawk Moth's gaze lingered on the butterfly pensively. _ **"Sometimes, to be overprotective is bad. But... I think I can use this to my advantage... just this once. To serve my purpose..."**_

Hawk Moth cupped their hands together and blew gently at the now black butterfly, the insect flying above and away from them. " ** _Fly, my little one, and lend him the aid he desires."  
_**

**-=-**

"Why...?"

Kevin McCormick sat on his bed, back against the headboard, knees drawn to his chest, head on his knees. Ever since Kevin had reached the age where he could be listed down as his siblings' legal guardian in place of their parents, he'd been searching for another place in South Park they could stay at, just the three of them - him, Kenny, and Karen - and far away from their parents. He'd grown up with Carol and Stuart as they were, and while they'd been...  _trying_ , as the years passed, he couldn't find it in him to say that staying there would be beneficial for the three kids just trying to make it in the world.

So they'd moved out.

He and Kenny had arrived to the consensus that they needed to move out and away with Karen, and had been all but ready to leave with her one night, when Karen had expressed adamant refusal to leave the house, and their parents. It had taken a lot of convincing to even get her to join them, but even then, he knew Karen didn't like the idea of being so far away from their parents, especially their mother.  _She always did feel more attached to them than Kenny and I did..._ _but... it was for the best. And... Kenny and I knew she'd pick him over our parents in a heartbeat, no matter what._

_And yet..._ Kevin sighed. The room, though warmed by the heater, felt cold to him.  _She wants to go back. I know she does. But we can't go back... it's dangerous._

_But is it, really?_

Kevin let his knees fall and his legs straighten out on the bed, placing his hands on either side of him as he slumped against the headboard. He felt so tired.  _Am I really being too overprotective? Maybe... no..._ His hands curled into fists before uncurling again.  _No. I know it's dangerous. Fuck's sakes, bottles fly around there nearly every night. I can't... she can't... they can't... I..._

He shut his eyes, and missed the black butterfly slipping in from the crack in the window from when he'd punched it a month ago.  _I need to protect them..._

The akuma hit the bandaids on his cheek.

**_"Hello, Brother Bear."_ **

Kevin's grip on his mattress tightened as red shadowed his face, and a butterfly outline appeared on his face.

**_"I am Hawk Moth. All you want to see your siblings safe and sound, don't you?"_** Hawk Moth's stance was cool and collected as the pair of giant wings on their back fluttered once, scattering the still-white butterflies around them.  ** _"But nobody understands that. Not even them. They think you're overreacting, overprotective."_** _Keep going. Keep going._ ** _"But then again, they're just little cubs. Little cubs who don't know anything about the world, and need their big brother to protect them. I can help you with that - if you help me in return."_**

A low, inhuman growl rumbled in the back of Kevin's throat. Hawk Moth unconsciously recoiled.

"Yes, Hawk Moth." 

-=-

One of the many quirks of being Chat Noir, Kenny discovered, was that he unconsciously adapted a few more feline traits.

Case in point being: sunning himself on a patch of sunlight in the park.

"You sure you're okay, Kenny?" Stan asked from his seat on the bench. After Kenny had called Kyle, asking about their whereabouts, the boy had directed his friend to the park, where their friend group had chosen to spend their afternoon. Butters was busying himself with finishing his homework early, claiming that he'd been grounded from using the computer to make things easier for him (but really doing it because he wanted to explore the town later that night as Ladybug), while Cartman appeared to be scrolling through the Ladyblog on his phone, an unreadable expression on his face, beyond the occasional amused smirk and irritated eyebrow twitch. Kyle was still doodling various Ladybugs on his notebook from his seat next to Stan.

Kenny stretched before glancing at Stan. "What do you mean?"

"He means you're actin' fuckin' gay, Ken." Cartman commented, lifting his eyes up from his phone to glance at Kenny, unimpressed, before going back to scrolling. "The fuck you even doing?"

"I'm photosynthesizing."

"... But you ain't a plant?" Butters was distracted from his homework at the statement, looking up in confusion.

"It's - it's 'cause I'm picking the spot with the most- it's a joke." Kenny explained lamely.  _Shit. If it's not working on Butterscotch here, it probably isn't gonna work on Ladybug. I gotta up my game._ "It's a shitty joke, but it's a joke."

Butters cocked his head to the side. "... Um-"

"Cartman, fuck you, that's not what I- Kenny, I meant, are you okay, because when you arrived here you looked like you were having some sort of problem." Stan corrected Cartman's previous statement as he crossed his arms, leaning against the bench, an eyebrow raised. "Got into another fight with Kevin?"

Kenny's eye twitched.

"Bingo." Kyle murmured offhandedly, switching to a blue color pencil to color in Ladybug's eyes.

"How do you guys know me like this?!" Kenny sat up, embarrassed but impressed. Usually, he was the one doing the intent observation and the uncanny guesses, so to find out that his friends were just as perceptive as him when it came to matters like these... "Yeah, I- yeah. I got into a fight with Kevin."

Butters frowned, sitting up. Kenny was one of the few in their friend group who didn't pick fights, especially with his siblings. He was the one fighting for justice, but he never _started_ fights - only ended them, especially as Mysterion. To hear that he'd fought with his own older brother of all people was... vaguely unsettling. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "What about?"

Kenny averted his gaze. "Well-"

"LOOK OUT!"

"IT'S A BEAR!"

Stan's gang all looked up, alarmed, as the ground rumbled and quaked below them. Kenny sat up immediately, Plagg wriggling around in his parka in annoyance, but before he could do anything, jaws closed in around his torso, and within seconds, he was suddenly tossed into the air by a-  _a bear?!_ "Waaagh-!" 

"KENNY!" The boys yelled, only for them to back away as the bear growled at them, catching Kenny in its mouth before thundering away with the blond, yelling in alarm.

Cartman swore loudly, standing up. "Fuck, it's got Ken! Next thing you know it's gonna come after me!"

"What the  _fuck_ makes you think it's coming after you next?!" Kyle yelled at him, shoving his notebook and pencils into his bag.

"Look at me, you fuckin' Jew! What kind of predator wouldn't want to fuckin' eat me?!" Cartman, despite himself, acknowledged his current appearance before tucking his phone into his pocket. "Screw you guys, I'm goin' home before that thing fucking eats me! Adios, motherfuckers!" And then he was gone, leaving in the direction the bear came, leaving Butters, Kyle, and Stan alone.

Stan turned to them, ocean blue eyes soothing, placating, but anxious - he didn't like the idea of the akuma taking Kenny. "We need to go after that thing-"

"We can't! It's too dangerous! Let Ladybug and Chat Noir handle it!" Kyle insisted, tugging on Stan's sleeve. In contrast, Kyle's emerald green eyes seemed to be ablaze with fury. "We, as civilians, have to find somewhere safe to stay to make their job easier, not run headfirst into trouble like a bunch of idiots!" He tugged on his super best friend's sleeve again. "COME ON!"

Butters felt Tikki moving around in his bag, and with a nervous giggle, he stammered, "I-I'd best get goin' home, anyway. Home's the other way an'- well, I don' wanna get grounded an' all-"

"Just keep safe, okay?" Kyle said seriously. "And if you get in trouble, call for Ladybug and Chat Noir. They'll save you."

_I wish I could save me._ Butters nodded vigorously, and with a determined nod, Kyle pulled Stan after him, running towards Tom's Rhinoplasty to seek shelter. Butters, on his end, ran and ducked behind a group of trees, checking for any witnesses, before opening his bag. Tikki flew up to meet his gaze as he stated, "Ken's in trouble, Tikki. We gotta help him - an' everyone else in the town!"

"Make sure to show how much of a 'good superhero' you are, teehee!" Tikki giggled as Butters turned red. "W-whatever, Tikki! Spots on!"

-=-

"Let- me- go- you-" For the past few minutes, Kenny had been thumping his fists on the humongous bear's jaw, trying to get it to let go of him. It seemed determined to keep him in its grasp, however, because his punching did little to deter the ursine from bounding towards- "Wait, that's-"  _That's our place? Why is it-_ His eyes widened.  _No. Karen. Kevin. No, it can't-_

With a gruff snort, the bear tossed Kenny into the house, Kenny flying straight into the couch with an 'oof', and stood up on its hind legs, placing both front paws on either side of the door. Pulling himself up into a better sitting position before standing up, Kenny watched with muted horror as thorny, plantlike black  _things_ \- Wendy would have called them patches of briars - erupted, and curled over the doorway, the windows, and basically any possible exit in their house, save for a small peephole Kenny couldn't even get to thanks to the thorns surrounding it. Once the briars had grown to the fullest extent,  the bear lowered itself back down, and started pacing in front of the house, almost like...  _a guard dog? Er, bear?_

"Kenny?"

"Karen?" Kenny turned, and saw Karen rush up to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He petted her hair reassuringly as she babbled incomprehensibly. "Kare, Kare, slow down, I can't understand a thing you're saying."

"Kevin's missing," Karen blubbered, still hugging him. "And I think the bear's going after him next."

"Or..." Kenny mused, looking towards the pacing bear outside, before he saw something that made his eyes grow wide with horrified realization - a pair of bandaids, forming an X-shape on the bear's cheek.  _Holy fuck... no..._ "... or the bear...  _is_ Kev, Karen. He's been-" The word tasted vile on his tongue. "- akumatized."

Karen's face was hidden in his jacket. "... A-akumatized...?"

"Yeah, Kare. Remember?" Kenny petted her hair again before looking back outside at... whatever Kevin had been turned into because of the akuma.  _A bear... why would Kevin be a bear? And why would he trap me and Karen in..._

It dawned on him.

"Kenny?" Karen looked up at him.

"We're behind this. We're behind this whole thing. We're why he's akumatized - Karen, he's akumatized because of us-" The truth was dawning on him faster than he'd like to admit as Kenny looked outside, and saw a red blur rushing towards the house from a distance.  _Ladybug. Milady, thank God..._ "He just wanted to protect us. He was just worried."

Much to his consternation, Karen looked more thoughtful than anxious this time, but he could tell the idea of Kevin getting akumatized because of them was not sitting well with her either. "Kevin... wait. What's that sound?"

"What sound?"

And then, a yoyo grazed his ear, before being pulled back, latching itself onto some of the thorns. Kenny turned around to watch as Ladybug destroyed some of the brambles with their yoyo, before doing it again and again, trying to destroy a way for them to get out. It wasn't easy, however - the bear that was Kevin was lunging at them every now and then, and every now and then he managed to snag Ladybug and drag them down, the hero yelping. They always managed to get out, however. Kenny could only watch with worry as Ladybug was flung straight inside the house, crashing through a nearby wall and landing on the kitchen table.

"Ladybug!" Kenny yelled, letting himself break free from Karen's hold for just a moment to rush to Ladybug's side, the hero groaning as they sat up, rubbing the side of their head. "Ladybug- Ladybug, are you okay?"

Ladybug was seeing stars as they mumbled, "Winnie th' Pooh ain't a friendly bear, nosirreebob... ugh, my head..." Blinking, their eyes lifted to meet Kenny's, and immediately, their eyes widened. "K-K-"

"LADYBUG!"

The Kevin bear - Brother Bear - burst through the front door after Ladybug, running straight for them, only to visibly pause when they saw Kenny standing in front of Ladybug, almost protectively. The warning growl rumbled low in his throat. "Get out of the way, Kenny."

"Kevin, stop, this isn't you-" Kenny was suddenly shoved away as Brother Bear roared, "There is no Kevin! I am Brother Bear, and you will do as you're told, little cubs!" With a roar, he lunged at Ladybug, but Ladybug had by then regained their bearings, ducking away to shoo Karen inside her room, saying, "You stay here, li'l missy. We'll get Brother Bear outta your house nice and quick."

"What- what about Kenny?" Karen asked in concern.

Ladybug's heart skipped a beat before a determined look crossed their face. "I had t'get you in here first. I'll be takin' him somewhere safe, okay? Your big brother's gonna be safe, an' so are you."

"And Kevin?" Karen asked.

"Yeah. Especially your other brother." Ladybug smiled softly. Karen was such a sweet child - no wonder Kenny and Kevin adored her so much. Closing Karen's bedroom door and barricading it in the meantime so nobody could get to her that way, Ladybug soon returned to the fray, where Kenny was- what the fuck? "E-excuse me, but what the fuck are you doin'?"

Kenny was holding a mop, swinging it at Brother Bear. He  _would_ have been giddy, knowing that Ladybug was directly addressing him as him and not Chat Noir, but right now he had a brother to get back to normal, Miraculous or no Miraculous. "Ladybug, listen- the akuma's probably in his bandaids. Over there, on his cheek. I'll distract him while you try and rip 'em off."

"The  _what?_ " Ladybug immediately jumped towards the counter and bounced off of it as Brother Bear swung a paw at them. Looking down and narrowing their eyes, the hero could make out the shape of two bandaids in an X-shape on Brother Bear's cheek, and with a groan, they mumbled, "That means I gotta get up close an' personal... oh, where is that kitty?"

_Shit. I need to transform, and fast._ Kenny gave Brother Bear one last wallop on the head with the mop, but that only served to make Brother Bear angrier. With a roar, the bear snapped his jaws at him, but before it could make contact, Ladybug threw their yoyo, the string wrapping itself around the bear's muzzle and pulling it shut, Brother Bear collapsing to the floor. Kenny only looked down at him, eyes wide, before Ladybug yelled, "RUN! HIDE YOURSELF!", just as Brother Bear began to struggle.

"But what about Karen?!" Kenny yelled.

Ladybug growled as Brother Bear struggled. "She's safe! Now GO!"

Kenny took off, running towards a nearby alley to transform. Furious, Brother Bear found the strength to break free at Kenny's escape, and rounded on Ladybug. "I was supposed to keep them safe!"

"From what, yourself?!" Ladybug retorted as they pulled their yoyo back, a little ticked off since Chat Noir was taking so long to arrive. _What in the hey is goin' on with that cat?!_ They vaulted off the nearest door as Brother Bear stamped a paw, and briars shot out from the ground from where Ladybug had been standing prior. "If anythin', I'm helpin' you out!"

**_"The Miraculous, Brother Bear!"_** Hawk Moth's voice echoed in Brother Bear's mind as the butterfly shape appeared in front of his face.  ** _"We made a deal - you get the earrings, and then when Chat Noir comes around-"_**

"I get his ring. I know." Brother Bear growled before running straight for Ladybug again, with the intent to knock them to the ground. His plans were shot, however, when an elongated bo staff suddenly blocked his path to the hero, and clocked him in the snout. "What the-"

_Finally!_ "What took you so long, kitty?" Ladybug scolded.

Chat Noir rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, unable to explain that he'd been there the whole time, just... not as himself. "Well-"

"You know what? You can explain t'me later - we need to- iyAH!" Ladybug, since they were not paying attention, found a paw snagging around their ankles and tossing them into the air, but due to the force of said toss, the hero was tossed straight through the roof. Chat Noir balked as Brother Bear surged upwards and caught Ladybug in his jaws, landing on the roof, and the ladybug hero struggled as Hawk Moth said,  ** _"You've got them now. Pin Ladybug down, and the earrings will be mine!"_**

Brother Bear spat out Ladybug on the roof, breaking a few roof tiles, and pinned them down with a paw. Ladybug squirmed as one of his claws reached for their earrings. "No! No, no you can't-"

"I thought Swiper was a fox, not a bear!"

_BONK._

Chat Noir had bonked Brother Bear on the head with his bo staff. The akumatized boy dropped down immediately - straight on top of Ladybug.

"Need a helping paw, milady?" Chat Noir held out a hand to Ladybug, who took it gratefully, and quickly the cat hero pulled out his partner, just as Brother Bear began to rise again. "Maybe it's time you used your Lucky Charm, y'know - before he really regains his bearings. This roof isn't gonna hold for long."

"I'm more concerned about the little girl, Karen." Ladybug admitted. "I locked her in her room to keep her away from Brother Bear, but now that we're on the roof-"

"- we could crash on top of her at any moment!" Chat Noir realized in horror. "Now you  _really_ gotta use the Lucky Charm, c'mon! Maybe things will go by quicker!"

Ladybug pulled their yoyo away from its place on their hip as Brother Bear growled. "If you think that's the best course of action... I trust you kitty. I always will." They tossed their yoyo in the air. " ** _LUCKY CHARM!_** "

Chat Noir would have been lying if he said their sentiment didn't warm his heart. And his cheeks.

"... This is taffy?" Ladybug stared at the two large hunks of taffy in their palm before looking around. Chat Noir, in the meantime, began swinging his bo staff around, ready to defend them while they pondered. "What am I supposed to do with taffy?"

_Get Chat Noir to distract Brother Bear and to chew some of the taffy for you._

_Take one hunk of taffy and get it under his paws to keep him stuck to the roof._

_Take the one from Chat Noir and f_ _orce it into Brother Bear's mouth to incapacitate his jaws. Or choke him. Whatever works._

_Tear off the bandaids while he's distracted._

_Got it!_

"Chat Noir, get chewing!" Ladybug tossed one of the taffy pieces to Chat Noir, who caught it clumsily while they said, "And distract Brother Bear while you're chewing! I'll tell you when to toss me the taffy!"

Chat Noir looked baffled, but complied, popping it into his mouth and beginning to chew. "Let's dance, Kenai!"

"No sweet treat will save you, Chat Noir!" Brother Bear roared, running straight for the heroes. Ladybug ducked to one side, and Chat Noir ducked to the other side, while Brother Bear made a sharp left turn towards Chat Noir, leaving Ladybug out of his line of vision.  _Perfect!_ Spitting out the taffy in their mouth, Ladybug split the sticky mess in their hands into two before throwing some in Brother Bear's way, right below where he'd step.  _C'mon... work..._

Brother Bear's paws made contact, and with a roar of indignation, the akumatized boy struggled with the candy. Ladybug cheered.  _Yesssss!_ "Chat Noir, spit it out right into his mouth!"

"Pardon my French, milady, but-  ** _that's fucking gross!_** " Chat Noir complained, spitting out the taffy in his mouth into his palm instead. "You sure?!"

Ladybug blanched. It  _was_ gross, but necessary right now. "Just trust me!"

"Alright, I trust you." Chat Noir was gonna have to live with the fact he just fucking chewed taffy and spat it technically into his brother's mouth to save his life.  _When did my life come to this point?_ With a grossed out look, Chat Noir chucked the chewed up taffy straight into Brother Bear's mouth, and, as Ladybug predicted, it just went straight to his windpipe, the bear hacking and choking. "Uh, Ladybug?! Is this what you were planning?!"

Ladybug cursed. "It was an outcome, but- ugh! Let me just rip off the bandaid-"

The roof collapsed right under Brother Bear, and the akumatized boy fell straight through.

Chat Noir nearly shrieked out his brother's name, but managed to slap a hand over his mouth before he could do so. However, he did jump down after him in worry, the bear now truly knocked out, passed out in front of Karen's room, barricaded by Ladybug. Ladybug peered down at them worriedly, but Chat Noir only smiled weakly at them, and gently tore off the bandaids on Brother Bear's cheek - just as one of the beams of the house they had broken creaked and eventually broke for real, heading straight for them.

"CHAT NOIR!"

**_"CATACLYSM!"_** Chat Noir shouted, his arm shooting up right above Brother Bear and himself. His claws made contact with the beam, which disappeared into a cloud of rust and dust, and as the black magic bubbled over Brother Bear and turned him back into Kevin McCormick, Chat Noir tore the bandaids in two, releasing the black butterfly up to Ladybug on the roof. As usual, Ladybug caught the butterfly in their yoyo. "No more evildoing for you, little akuma - time to de-evilize!"

The white butterfly that soon emerged from Ladybug's yoyo looked so much prettier, for some reason, compared to the other butterflies Ladybug had purified prior. "Bye bye little butterfly," Ladybug whispered as they grabbed the taffy wrappers and threw them into the air. " ** _MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!_ "**

Once more, the damage was fixed, and the hole in the roof, repaired. Since Brother Bear had kept to just the McCormick household, the destruction, compared to the other akumas, had been minimal - but the stakes were higher, in Ladybug's opinion, since Kenny and Karen were directly involved in this one. Swinging down to the front door, Ladybug knocked, and Chat Noir opened the door for them, just as Kevin rose with a groan, the scar on his face under the bandaids now gone - cured by the Miraculous Cure. The bandaids that had been his akumatized object were on the floor.

With the Miraculous Cure putting everything back the way it was, the barricade Ladybug had put up in front of Karen's door was gone now, allowing Karen to burst out of her room to see if her brothers were alright. "Kevin?! Kevin, are you-"

"He's fine, K- little lady." Chat Noir reassured as Karen wrapped her arms around Kevin, glad that he was alright. As Kevin muttered about how confused he was, Chat Noir picked up the bandages, and threw them in the trash, knowing that Kevin, with his tendencies, would end up getting wounded again sooner or later, and that he'd get new bandaids, anyway.

"Where's Kenny?" Kevin asked, realizing that their blond brother was, indeed, missing. "Chat Noir? Ladybug?"

Ladybug felt a chill run down their spine. "Oh no. I wonder where he ran off to... I told him to run-"

"H-he's fine!" Chat Noir exclaimed, and at the looks he received, he sweated nervously. "I ran into him while I was heading for here, y'know? He said he was gonna hide at a friend's place until he was sure the trouble is over, so-"

"Which friend's place?" Ladybug asked, eyebrow raised suspiciously.

_Shiiiiiiiiiit._ "The... the Broflovskis! That Kyle kid?"

"Hm." Ladybug didn't look reassured, but otherwise couldn't really complain as their earrings and Chat Noir's ring began to beep. "We have to go. I'm sure he'll come back home soon," They said to Kevin and Karen. Kevin looked like he was about to protest, but Karen only tugged at his shirt, shaking her head. He sighed. "... Okay. I... I trust he'll come home soon."

"You should really trust him more." Chat Noir said solemnly as Ladybug swung out of the house to detransform. "He's not a kid anymore."

"I know." Kevin mumbled, looking down. "But can you blame me for wanting to protect him and Karen? They're..." He pulled Karen closer to him, and Karen snuggled into his side. "They're all I have left."

Chat Noir felt a pang in his chest, and he smiled wryly. "I guess not. Just... tone it down, I guess."

"... Yeah." Kevin smiled. "Thanks, Chat Noir."

Chat Noir gave him and Karen a wink, and bounced out, detransforming a few blocks down behind a dumpster, his back against the wall of the nearest building. Plagg dove into his pocket for cheese soon after detransforming as Kenny only sighed, hugging himself.

"You okay, kid?" Plagg asked in between bites.

"Not really." Kenny admitted, looking up at his kwami. "... Plagg, is this really what being a hero's all about? Fighting even your own family?"

"I think you already know the answer to that, Mysterion." The kwami mumbled, and Kenny only groaned, sinking to the ground. Feeling his phone in his pocket, Kenny pulled it out, just in time for Kevin's text to come in.

**_You okay?_ **

With a wry smile, he replied.

_Yeah. Coming home now._

_**Take care.** _

-=-

 "Goodnight, Butters. Lock the door and your window."

"Night mom!"

She shut the door.

Once he locked the door behind her, Butters sighed in relief, flopping on the bed, exhausted again. Two akuma in one day took a lot out of you, after all. Tikki sat, perched on top of his bag, which was sitting on the floor beside his bed while eating a cookie, as Butters stared up at his ceiling, pondering the day's events.  _I should really talk t'Kenny about today... check if he's okay, if he got home safe... that's what friends do, right?_ He grabbed a pillow and hugged it close to his chest, rocking his feet back and forth.  _Or maybe that's gonna make me look like I really do have a crush on him. Which I do, but he can't know! Not yet!_ He buried his face in the pillow, flustered.  _But I gotta know if he's okay!_

"Thinking of me, butterscotch?"

"WAAAGH!" Butters immediately chucked the pillow at the window, where Chat Noir had been hanging upside down from his bo staff, wedged into a space between the roof's tiles. Tikki ducked into Butters's bag as Butters soon realized who was at the window. "C-Chat Noir?"

Chat Noir winked before throwing the pillow back at him and sitting down on his windowsill, not daring to really enter the room. "That's the name, don't wear it out. Sorry for startling you and dropping by uninvited, but I needed a little advice."

"Advice?" Butters was genuinely confused as he sat across from Chat Noir, the pillow in his lap.  _Does he know I'm Ladybug? Why would he seek me out this late at night? For advice, of all things?_ "Wait, why are you asking me for advice and not Ladybug? Aren't they closer to you than li'l ol' me?"

_SHIT. I didn't think this through._ Chat Noir sweated a little as he fumbled for an excuse. "Well, y'see... uhm..."  _Think, McCormick!_ "I..."  _THiNK!_ "... heard through the grapevine that you thought I wasn't suave and wanted pointers."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..." Chat Noir's cheeks were slowly turning a hideous shade of red. "Okay, this is awkward, I'm just gonna-"

Butters stifled a giggle, making him look offended. The shorter boy waved his hand around, trying to diffuse his offended look, saying, "I-I'm- I'm sorry, I ain't laughin' atcha, I'm- this is so silly, where'dya even hear that?"

"... A friend." Chat Noir drooped. "So am I really not suave, butterscotch?"

"Well... you're tryin', and I give ya points for that," Butters admitted, hugging the pillow close to his chest. "Maybe some other girl will like how you do it, but you're just not my type, Chat. Sorry."

Chat Noir relaxed considerably, and leaned against his window frame. "Fair enough. This cat only has eyes for one lady-bug anyway, me-ow."

"Me-ow?" Butters chortled.

"I'm a cat, what can I say?" Chat Noir teased before he sighed. "Listen... um... butterscotch. Don't... don't tell Ladybug - i-if they ever come around here! - that I was here tonight, okay?" He fidgeted. "Um. Just in case."

Butters raised an eyebrow in amusement. "What makes you think Ladybug will check in on a civilian the way you dropped in on me tonight?"

"J-Just in case! You never know!" Chat Noir waved his hands around nervously as Butters laughed again, smiling kindly at him. "Don't laugh at me, this is serious!"

"Aight, aight, I won't, kitty," Butters promised, blinking sweetly at him. "Just maybe try and warn me next time you decide to drop in on this little guy, else you'll spook the fillin' outta me, y'know?"

Chat Noir nodded. "I promise, butterscotch. Cat's honor." He placed a hand over where his heart probably was and raised the other as if he was swearing an oath. "Um... I... guess I'll... go now...?"

"At a loss for words, kitty?" Butters asked, genuinely curious. "You didn't really get advice from me tonight."

"I just... I think I caught you at a bad time, anyway," Chat Noir admitted. Butters  _did_ look tired - though he couldn't imagine from what besides this morning's akuma. "Maybe I'll drop by some other night. Maybe every other night." He looked back up at Butters. "Is... that okay? For you, I mean. I'm a free cat, so it's obviously okay for me."

_Do I want this kitty dropping in every now and then when I hang around him during akuma attacks all the time?_ Butters asked himself as he stared intently into Chat Noir's green eyes. So unlike Kenny's beautiful blue ones, but they held a certain charm to them all the same. It suited Chat Noir - Chat Noir, in his leather-clad superhero form.  _I wonder if his eyes are green too out of costume._ "... Yeah. I think it'll be cool. I mean, it's not every day some normal guy gets visited by a superhero, right?" Butters laughed sweetly.  _Even if I AM a superhero myself._ "Only Karen gets t'be watched over by an actual superhero all the time."

"Well, now that makes two of you!" Chat Noir grinned, smiling a Cheshire Cat smile. "Mysterion can watch her, and I'll watch you. It's like having your own personal bodyguard who's less broody and more cute and cuddly." Beat. "Get it? 'Cause I'm a cat?"

Butters rolled his eyes. "Whatever, kitty. But I guess that  _is_ reassurin', havin' you around to watch me."  _Even as a civilian, Chat Noir's watching over me... yeah, it's... actually reassuring._  He smiled softly at Chat Noir. "Thanks, Chat. You're great."

Chat Noir's breath caught in his throat momentarily at the soft smile on Butters's face, and one word crossed his mind. _So adorable_ _..._ _gah! Stop that! That is your friend!_ "Not as great as my lady." He threw a flying kiss in Butters's direction before saying, "See you tomorrow then, butterscotch? This cat's gotta bounce."

_"_ I'll be here, Chat Noir." Butters laughed, and with a smile, Chat Noir climbed out his window and bounded away, leaving Butters to watch as he left. Tikki, sensing that Chat was gone, flew up to rest on Butters's shoulder, and nudged at his cheek teasingly. At her look, Butters shook his head, and rested his cheek on his palm, staring out the window like a lovesick romantic and sighing. "He's not my type, Tikki."

"He's blond." Tikki pointed out.

"But he has green eyes." Butters sighed dreamily, thinking about Kenny's eyes. "He's nothin' like my Ken."

"Sure, if that's what helps you sleep at night," Tikki laughed before tugging at his collar. "Speaking of which, it's time for bed, Butters. Go to sleep."

"Aw... okay. Goodnight, Tikki."

"Goodnight, Butters. Sweet dreams." 

_**~ End of CH.8: Brother Bear ~** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all the teachers are going to be references to other media, please pay attention, because i love dropping hints that i am in other fandoms


	9. A-Lister

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

"Today's list meeting is called to order."

The girls at the meeting all straightened out, and turned to the front. From her seat at the highest point in the room, Wendy turned to Nichole. "Nichole Daniels, you have the floor."

"If it pleases and sparkles..." Nichole laced her fingers together, looking to the other girls in the room before she continued. "I suggest we begin on List 79-A - 'Who has the softest hair'."

"Does that sparkle with all the girls?" Lola asked, and in response, the girls all murmured to themselves before saying in unison, "Sunshine!"

For years, the girls of South Park - well, most of them, anyway - were part of a large group, dedicated to making lists and decisions for the good of all girls in the town. It was fairly common knowledge that if you wanted to talk to the girls as a collective, you either had to be dating one of the girls in the group, or very good friends with them, in order to even be let into the hideout. While divided between the older and the younger girls, the group was still considered a collective, since any decisions made by either group was made known to the other so that no misunderstandings could occur. It kept things orderly. Girls were orderly.

Most of the girls in the town were part of either group, but not all of them attended meetings - Henrietta Biggle, for one, was by all means a member of the older girls' group, but her Goth status overruled whatever Sparkle Law decreed that all girls attend important list making meetings, and allowed her not to attend. Not that she ever wanted to attend, anyway, but by all intents and purposes, she was the Goth representative of the girls, and if any messages needed to be passed on to the few Goth girls in the school, it went through her. Another example was Estella Havesham, who absolutely refused what she referred to as 'the forced implementation of an admittedly inane activity meant to give a sense of authority to those thirsting for authority'. However, she was, by all means, yet another representative, this time to the foreign girls.

There were odd ones out, like Marjorine. Since Marjorine was Butters when he felt like Marjorine on certain days, if it happened to fall on a listmaking day, Marjorine was permitted to attend the meetings, being more amicable to the idea than Henrietta and Estella. Beyond the odd tidbit of information, however, Marjorine was just as clueless as Butters himself when it came to any discussions made by the girls. It always frustrated Cartman to no end knowing that he couldn't get anything out of Butters through Marjorine. But what could he do? He had no control over this one thing this time.

"Deliberating who has the softest hair -" Jenny checked the list. "- Sally Turner has the floor."

Sally - Powder - smiled. "If it pleases and sparkles, I would like to inquire if this encompasses both boys and girls, or if it's limited to just one gender."

"The softest hair list encompasses both boys and girls and everybody in between and beyond," Wendy answered. "So any submission for this list is counted. Any particular reason why you had to ask?"

Heidi rolled her eyes, already anticipating her answer. Powder beamed, and raised her submission. "If it pleases and sparkles, I would like to submit that Terrance Mephesto has the softest hair; definitely softer than Dennis's."

"How would you even know how soft his hair is, he always keeps it in that ugly rat tail," Lizzy Van der Waals rolled her eyes, pulling off the hood of her pink parka to reveal her hair's current dye job - violets, greens, and blues against her normally black hair, reminiscent of a galaxy. "If it pleases and sparkles, I vote we veto Powder's submission."

"Veto overruled, it is a legitimate submission." Wendy said sternly. "The committee has decided that Terrance Mephesto's hair will be counted as a candidate until further notice. Does that sparkle with everyone?"

"Sunshine!"

"Sunshine, sparkle, Monica Ryland has the floor."

-=-

Across town, a different set of people were gathered together.

"Don't you ever get tired?"

"Of course he does, he always gets tired."

Token gave Craig a dry look as Tweek and Clyde wrestled for control of the remote. "I was talking to Clyde."

"Yeah, and I answered for him." Craig lounged on the beanbag as Clyde whined in protest, pounding his fists on the floor of Token's designated game room, while Tweek waved the remote victoriously, grinning from his seat on Clyde's back. The chullo wearing boy took a sip from his juice as he gave a withering glance in Token's direction. "You're welcome."

"Now we can watch something that's actually decent, like something by Studio Ghibli!" Tweek crowed, switching it over to said channel.

Clyde wailed. "Nooooo! Do you actually  _want_ me to sob all over you?! Give it back, we're watching Fast and the Furious!"

"N-no way, I won fair and square!" Tweek stuck out his tongue. "Token, tell him!"

"I thought we were puh-p-playing a multiplayer game and not watching a m-movie," Jimmy reminded everyone from his beanbag, located a little farther back from the roughhousing Tweek and Clyde. "Ruh-r-r-remuh-m-member?"

Silence.

Tweek palmed his forehead. "Fuck." To Craig, he accused, "You said we were going to watch a movie."

"I forgot." Craig answered honestly. "Sorry Tweek, sorry Jimmy."

Jimmy laughed, multicolored rubbers on his braces flashing at them as he did so. He adjusted the bowl of Cheetos on his lap as he waved it off. "It's fine. Kuh-K-Kevin's still in-game, anywuh-way. We wouldn't be comp-puh-p-plete." As he spoke, the gang all looked to Kevin Stoley, sitting on the beanbag next to Jimmy, who was still playing something with the Virtual Reality headset. Judging from how he was moving, it was either a fighting game or a really intense dating sim.

"What's he playing?" Clyde asked curiously.

Jimmy thought about it. "... Suh-s-said it was a dating sim. Or something."

Kevin slapped the air. Tweek raised an eyebrow. "Must be a really intense dating sim."

"Yo, Earth to Kev, your real girlfriend's calling." Craig leaned over backwards and tapped Kevin's knee.

Much to their surprise, however, the headset immediately came flying off, landing in his lap safely. "Wha- Red? Red's calling? I-" Kevin was suddenly out of the simulation in a panic, looking around, only to realize that the rest of the gang was staring at him. Immediately, he sank lower into his beanbag as five wide smiles immediately spread on his friends' faces. "Oh God. Red wasn't calling at all, was she?"

"Since  _when_ were you dating my cousin?" Craig asked, eyebrow raised.

"How long have you been in  _love_?" Clyde crooned, batting his eyelashes.

"Weren't you two dating in like, third and fourth grade?" Token pointed out. "Or was that  _not_ dating?"

Kevin willed himself to be consumed by the beanbag. It wasn't working. "Not dating."

"How? You two are practically glued t-together by the hip." Tweek perched on his own beanbag, clambering off of Clyde to allow him to go to his own place. "We always thought-"

The Chinese-American turned red. "Well, you thought wrong. We weren't dating. We're just best friends." Red's face crossed his mind, and he turned even redder. He wondered if he could T-pose through the floor and into the center of the Earth. "She'd never like me that way, anyway. She has Thomas. And Milly, if Milly stops being preoccupied with other things." The thought that his redhaired best friend had the pick of whoever she could potentially date - excluding himself - made him droop.

"Milly wouldn't dream of it." Craig scoffed. "She knows she reminds Red too much of Ruby, and she hates that."

"And since when did Thomas have the upper hand against  _you?_ " Clyde demanded. "You're Kevin Stoley, nerd supreme."

" _Thaaaaaaaanks._ " Kevin grumbled.

"I mean that in a good way!"

Token took over. "Look, what he means is that you and Red are already best friends. That means she likes you in a way - it's not too far of a stretch for her to get a crush on you too."

"Besides, what does Thomas have that you don't?" Clyde grinned. "You're both nerds, but you're nerd  _supreme_. Red just has a thing for nerds, probably."

Tweek leaned in close to Kevin's ear. "Speaking of having a t-thing for nerds... isn't she your Alien Queen?"

Kevin immediately turned a grotesque shade of red, and moaned, covering his face with his hands. The rest of the gang guffawed at his expense as Clyde wiped away a tear. "All this talk of girlfriends is reminding me to shoot Bebe a text. Gimme a sec, guys." With a lovesick look on his face, he pulled out his phone and went to texting, the others looking over his shoulder.

"That's way too many emojis." Craig intoned.

Tweek snorted. "That's rich, coming from you."

"Don't expose me."

"Mwah." Clyde sent the phone a flying kiss before sending the text, and returning the phone to his pocket. "So! Kevin and Red. What do we do?"

"NOTHING!" Kevin yelped, eyes peeking from in between his fingers. His mouth was twisted in a sort of grimace. "JUST LEAVE US ALONE, WE'RE FINE!"

"Are you sure?" Token held up a hand to stop Clyde before he could make it worse. "We could help. We're your guy best friends, and we want to help."

Clyde interjected, "And we could get Bebe's insights on this too! She's one of Red's closest friends, right? Man, having a beautiful, smart, and caring girlfriend like Bebe rocks." The boy had hearts in his eyes, making the others, save for Kevin, roll their own eyes.

"Mmmnh..." Kevin looked uncertain as he let his hands fall to his lap, fingers tracing over the virtual reality headset. His eyes softened as he thought of his closest female friend (next to Esther, his own sister), and sighed almost wistfully. "I don't know... it could go horribly wrong."

Token gave him a kind smile. It reminded Kevin of Nichole, just a little. _I guess it's true what they say about you rubbing off on your significant other._ "You don't have to act on it right now. You've gone this long without doing anything, haven't you?" At Kevin's gloomy nod, he reached out and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Then a few more days won't matter. But let us help you, okay? Let Clyde talk to Bebe."

-=-

"... Bebe? Bebe!"

"I'm listening." The blonde replied, one hand cradling her cheek and the other tracing small hearts atop the screen of her phone, almost lazily. She  _was_ listening - Bebe was famous for multitasking, after all, and today was no exception. Currently, she had her attention divided between her boyfriend, the Ladyblog, and the small discussions the other girls were having before the next list. Both her cellphones were out on her desk - the one with the screen she was tracing was were most people called her, while the other was her 'business phone', where she monitored the Ladyblog as closely as possible. It was hard maintaining the blog now that it had risen in popularity, but Bebe was as smart as she was beautiful - she could handle it.

And everyone knew it.

Red leaned over and tapped Bebe's nose. "Wake up and smell the sunshine, Goldilocks, we were asking about your opinions on  _Go Go Lovers_."

" _Go Go-_ oh! The visual novel that's been rising in popularity?" The vivacious blonde rolled her eyes and opened up another window on her business phone, typing up something rapidly into the search bar with one hand while the other hand texted a reply to Clyde. "It really isn't my thing. Seriously, racing cars, racers, and romance? Who am I, Craig 'Red Racer' Tucker?" At the laughter of the other girls, she smiled before turning her business phone around to show them what she'd searched up. "Now,  _Paparazzi Paramour?_ That's glamorous  _and_ just right."

Red blanched. "Ew. Figures you'd like a visual novel about movie stars."

"Kind of like how I like  _Floras and Fancy_ ," Nichole mused. "It's not a visual novel, but it's an RPG about plants. It lines up with my interests."

"And with your personality," Bebe pointed out as she switched back to the Ladyblog and refreshed the comments section, returning to at least twenty more new comments.  _Delicious._ "You do you, sunshine girl. You're my friend regardless."

Nichole beamed, but just then, Wendy banged the gavel on her desk. "All right, girls, back to your seats!"

"TTYL, girls." Red made a salute that Bebe faintly recognized as one that Kevin did a  _lot_ , and with a knowing chuckle and a shake of her head, she settled down in her seat, just as Wendy banged the gavel again. The girls all quieted, turning their gazes to the violet eyed noirette. "Recess is over, and now it's time for the last list of the day - 'Who is the cutest boy'." Her gaze shifted. "Bebe Stevens, you have the-"

"What?!"

A voice rang out indignantly, startling the rest of the girls into looking at whoever it was. Wendy looked rather displeased as she focused her attention on her. "Cherri Goodwin, your turn is not until after Annie Wes-" Lola tapped her arm, and made Wendy look down at the list. "... Oh, sorry, I mean until after Annie Knitts. Is there a reason for your outburst."

"Uh,  _yeah?_ " Cherri Goodwin - an appropriate name, given that she was most recognizable for the cherry hair clip in her hair - scowled. "Did you guys literally forget what she did?"

Nichole tilted her head, genuinely confused. "Huh?"

"You weren't there for it, Nic, but this one," Cherri pointed at Bebe, who began to rise, bristling. "Used to be head of the listmaking committee before she got arrested for list forgery."

" _List forgery?"_ Nichole was absolutely bewildered. "Surely you're exaggerati- no. Wait." A look crossed her face. "Never mind. This town is silly. But what do you mean, list forgery?"

A different girl stood up - one of the Kellys, specifically Kelly Pinkerton-Tinfurter, who threw the trailing end of her scarf over her shoulder as she crossed her arms, glaring at Bebe. "We've already done the cutest boy list, many years ago, Nichole. We're just redoing it because of the new additions to the girl committee. But that list got compromised."

"Compromised how?"

This time, Kelly Rutherford-Menskin stood up. "The boys, that time, wanted the list to see where they ranked. They stole the forged list, where Kyle Broflovski was at the bottom, and Clyde Donovan was at the top. She authorized the buyout, and let the heads of the listmaking committee manipulate the list. All because Clyde's dad owned the shoe store at the mall, and she wanted shoes while dating Clyde."

"Funny, isn't that pair you're wearing right now  _from_ Clyde?" Cherri pointed out snidely. "I'd recognize that pair anywhere. It's the latest from the ribbondancer line, with the crisscrossing ribbons that run up your leg."

Bebe actually  _snarled,_ making the girls who knew her best recoil slightly. "He  _gave_ it to me as a  _birthday gift_."

"I'm surprised he's even dating you, after what you did to him years ago," Kelly P. rolled her eyes. "Guess it's true what they say about him: he's the dumb one."

Palms smacked the desk as Bebe's pupils shrank in fury. "Don't you  _dare_ call my boyfriend dumb. Clyde is just slow on the uptake, but he's smarter than you skanks will  _ever_ be."

"Order! Order!" Wendy's voice boomed as Jenny went trigger-happy with the gavel, slamming it loudly and repeatedly until the girls standing up all sank back down into their seats, but not while still glaring at each other. Once they were completely silent, however, the Head of the Listmaking Committee frowned. "That was a very unsightly interruption to today's listmaking activity, girls. You all know better." At their murmured apologies, she just shook her head. "If it upsets everyone that much-"

"- more like just them." Red muttered, having been involved in the scandal as well.

"- we will skip the list for now, and move on to the next list, which is...?" Wendy glanced over to Lola, who looked down at her list. "... 'Who is the most fashionable girl in the batch'. Since we skipped over a good number of people, we're moving on to..." She looked to the girl in question. "Sunshine, sparkle, Shauna Zwei has the floor."

Shauna Zwei adjusted the two light cyan bows in her hair before speaking. "If it pleases and sparkles, I would like to submit that Sally Darson is the most fashionable girl in the batch, because her outfits are always on point and her cat eyeliner is always sharp and dangerous."

"If it pleases and sparkles, I would like to contest that submission, for she is  _not_ the most fashionable girl in the batch," Allie Nelson offered. "That position would have to go to Bebe Stevens, because of her rather large wardrobe and collection of accessories to suit every thematic change."

" _I_ think - if it pleases and sparkles - that Bebe should be put in  _last_ place, because her wardrobe's contents aren't hers to begin with," Cherri declared. "Does that sparkle with all the girls?"

"Sunshine!" The girls who had been against Bebe earlier all chorused, as well as a few other girls who hadn't been around but were swayed by Cherri's earlier spat. Red and Esther looked awfully disturbed, while Nichole glanced at Wendy worriedly. Jenny and Lola gripped each others' hands under the desks as Nichole said timidly, "Um, if it... pleases and sparkles, I would like to submit that Bebe  _not_ be in last place, because some of her clothing pieces were bought with her own money that she got from part-time jobs, and thus rightfully hers to begin with."

"This isn't even about fashion anymore," Isla Watterson grumbled. "It's about settling a score."

Lizzy's lips pursed. "No... this is more of a long lasting grudge."

"Nichole's submission sparkles with me!" Red cried out desperately over the chants of the other girls, demanding Bebe be put last. "Wendy! Wendy, Nichole's submission sparkles-"

"I heard you!" Wendy snapped, though more out of irritation at the other girls more than any.

Finally, at some point, Bebe  _snapped,_ and just stood up, her chair falling backwards as she snarled, "You know what?! Fine! Vote me the least fashionable girl! I don't care! Your lists are stupid anyway! You're all petty bitches!" And with a furious huff, she stormed out, the door slamming shut behind her. Nichole and Wendy looked at each other, coming to a common conclusion, and with a gentle sigh, Wendy whispered in Lola's ear, "You take care of the other lists for today. We'll go get Bebe."

"Bring her back safe, Wends." Lola whispered sleepily.

-=-

**_"No matter how much you've atoned, people can and will use your past mistakes as a means to make themselves superior to you... and even if you say their opinions don't matter to you... in the end, they still do."_ **

Hawk Moth curled their fingers towards their palm before uncurling them again, and at their gesture, a white butterfly perched on their palm. Just like before, their other hand covered the butterfly, and, through the power of their Miraculous, the butterfly became infused with a strange, dark energy.  _ **"Stars shine and fall... just like this one. But maybe we can make her rise up again. Poor girl... maybe she can help us if we help her."**_

Hawk Moth cupped their hands together and blew gently at the now black butterfly, the insect flying above and away from them. " ** _Fly, my little akuma, and help this star shine bright again!"_**

-=-

Bebe stormed out of the hideout, curls bouncing with each angry step she took farther away from the park.  _Those bitches... I helped found that stupid listmaking committee, and I've already done my time - why can't they just fucking let it go?!_ Painted lips curled up in a furious snarl as she shoved her way past some people, growling, "Move aside, assholes!", leaving a trail of offended people in her wake. Nichole and Wendy were not far behind her, however, trailing after her worriedly, chasing the blonde, but barely.

"She- walks fast for- someone in heels-" Nichole panted, only barely keeping up. "My high tops weren't built for chasing an angry blonde- ow!"

Wendy sighed. "You and I mastered the heel - Bebe's lived the heel. We all know she's not one for using her looks to get what she wants, but her mom's been primping her for the runway from childhood, so I really wouldn't be surprised if she could do acrobatics in glass stilettos and woo the pants off of anyone- oh no, we're losing her!" The noirette took hold of Nichole's hand, and pulled her along, combat boots striking the pavement at a rapid pace as they chased their furious friend down the street, apologizing to all the people she'd shoved aside as they did so. By the time they'd apologized to the last person, however, Bebe was already long gone, leaving them in the dust.

"Oh no... where could she have gone?" Nichole worriedly brushed her hand against her earring, and suddenly, she shuddered, remembering the faintest, faintest feelings of cold fury - and the feeling of plants, curling around her fingers. 

_vines vines the plants are everywhere they call for mother the leech like no other_

_les fleurs du mal vont manger cette ville et consumer le monde et régner en maître_

_les fleurs du mal_

_fleurs du mal_

_mal_

**_mal_ **

"NICHOLE!"

"Huh-?" Nichole was startled out of her reverie by a concerned Wendy, who gazed at her with worry etched on her face. "Oh... what is it, Wendy?"

"You okay? You were muttering to yourself." Violet eyes scanned the other girl carefully before she sighed. "Try not to lose your head. We still have to find Bebe.

"R-right..." As Wendy led the way again, Nichole looked at her free hand, turning it over and back, staring at it, before shaking her head, clenching said hand into a fist. If anyone looked at her face, however, they would say she looked haunted.

As the two girls passed Stark's Pond, they failed to notice the bit of blonde hair, peeking out from behind a tree - behind said tree stood Bebe Stevens, who was furiously rubbing away hot, hurt tears from her eyes. She hated to admit it, but their comments - the comments that had come from her accusers, anyway - had  _stung_. Their opinions shouldn't have mattered so much to her - she was Bebe fucking Stevens, for crying out loud, and the only opinions that mattered to her were her real friends' and her boyfriend's, but for some reason, knowing that a lot of the girls on the committee still held a grudge for what she did years ago... it hurt.

Really bad.

"Stop crying... stop it..." Bebe cursed herself, her only consolation being that she hadn't worn any form of mascara that day, or else she would look like an utter disaster. "You are a Stevens. You are smart, beautiful, and you don't need to use that beauty to get what you want... just- they don't matter, they don't matter... you're smart, you're... you're good..."

In the midst of her crying, she failed to see the black butterfly that danced its way towards her, and soon landed on her shoe. Darkness exploded from the butterfly, coating her shoe and crawling up her leg, as a white butterfly outline appeared in front of her tear-stained face. In her head, she heard a voice.

 ** _"A-Lister."_** Hawk Moth pitied her. They knew Bebe Stevens was usually such a strong person, but to see her down like this made them hurt, even just a little.  ** _"I am Hawk Moth. List making brought you power once, and I can make it bring you power again, but far, far more than the power you used to have. The world will be run on your lists and your lists alone - and the people will love you for it. Praise you for it."_** Bebe's fists clenched as Hawk Moth continued.  ** _"People will kiss the path you walk on, and be at your beck and call. The world is yours, my blooming superstar. All I ask is for two little things in return. Alright?"_**

"I will use everything to get what we both want." The outline faded from her face, and the darkness consumed her entirely. "Both brains  _and_ beauty!"

Her laughter soon rang in the air - loud enough for Wendy and Nichole, who were still in the area, to hear.

With worried looks, they turned to each other before running in the direction of her laugh, only to freeze as Bebe - or who Bebe had become - sashayed out from between the trees, her eyes scanning them almost indifferently behind a black butterfly shaped mask, two red feathers sticking out of the left side of it. The girl looked almost exactly like Bebe, save for her hair being tied up in a high ponytail, the ends tipped black, and the sclera of her blue eyes being a dark black. A blue feather boa was wrapped around her black gloved arms, and a sleeveless red dress with black netting and a golden midriff was her main attire, the end of the dress' train trailing behind her on the ground. Shoes matching the color of her boa adorned her feet as she stepped closer to the two girls.

"Be... be...?" Wendy was at a loss for words, while Nichole's head was gripped with flashes of memories she hoped never to remember.

_little pests in my garden ladybugs not helpful_

_i will eat you alive_

_let the stupid flower show you_

An ugly scowl crossed the blonde's face. "My name is  _not_ Bebe - it's A-Lister! And from now on, I say what's hot and what's not." Snapping her fingers, from out of nowhere, a sheet of paper fell into her hands. Plucking one of the feathers from her mask, she said out loud as she wrote, "Most loyal followers. Number one - Wendy Testaburger. Number two, Nichole Daniels." Wendy and Nichole slowly backed away, not liking where this was going. "Number three, Red Tucker, number four... hm, why not, Kyle Broflovski. Number five..." Her gaze flitted over the list, and with a malicious grin, she wrote one last name. "Number five, Clyde Donovan."

As the ink used to write the names dried on the paper, the two girls felt something seize at them, and suddenly, both of them were being puppeted by a strange magic, making them stand by A-Lister's side, despite their internal struggling. The list disappeared in blue flames in midair. A-Lister watched with a growing smirk as suddenly, their eyes went blank, and when they looked back up at her, there were only golden stars in place of their pupils.

"You're so smart, A-Lister." Wendy praised monotonously.

Nichole clasped her hands together. "You're the best, A-Lister."

"I know, darlings. I know." A-Lister fluffed up her feather boa, preening. "Come, my dears - there's a whole town that needs to see my grandeur!"

 _The whole WORLD will eat out of the palm of my hand when I'm through._ With a new sheet of paper, A-Lister's painted lips smiled menacingly. "Let's see... such loyalty deserves to be rewarded... oh, I know! How about 'best fliers'?"

-=-

Across town, something was happening.

"Clyde?" Token asked, confused as to why Clyde had suddenly hunched over, clutching his head in pain. Craig paused the movie as they all turned in concern to face their friend, whose phone lay forgotten at his feet. "Clyde, dude, speak to us."

"I... I..." Clyde's voice trembled, and he curled in on himself further, his face hidden, until suddenly, he looked up lightning quick. When Kevin looked, in place of his pupils, were golden stars. "I must find Miss A-Lister. She is the best."

Tweek was intelligent. He bounced away from Clyde nervously, recognizing something wasn't right. "H-he's... he's either possessed or a-akumatized- Craig, Token, K-Kevin, Jimmy, g-get away from him!"

"I thuh-th-think we would've seen an akuma come through the w-window, so he must be puh-possessed." Jimmy reached for his crutches, but not before Token's windows burst open, a strong gust of wind sending them all nearly flying. The boys all turned to see A-Lister at the window, looking particularly delighted to see Clyde.

Clyde, on his end, seemed to recognize her. "My sweetheart. My queen." His voice droned monotonously as he held his arms out for her.

"Clyde, my ever so loving knight in shining armor!" A-Lister crooned in a voice the boys knew all too well belonged to one Bebe Stevens. She threw her arms around the mind-controlled Clyde and kissed his cheeks appreciatively before looking towards the other members of Craig's gang. "Oh. And I guess you're also here."

"Bebe...  _you_ did this?" Token was about to say more when he saw familiar faces floating outside the window.  _Wait, floating?!_ The boy made a mad scramble for the windowsill, and nearly screamed because it  _was_ Nichole, Wendy, and Red, floating in midair, looking dead to the world. He whirled around to look at A-Lister. "Bebe, what did you DO?!"

A-Lister rolled her eyes. "My name is A-Lister, get it right. And for the record, they're not  _dead_. I just made them the top three best at flying. Kyle should be coming around soon, I imagine his little boyfriend is busy with him." She laughed obnoxiously, sending shivers down their spines, when finally, someone broke down the door to the game room, making Tweek screech in alarm. A-Lister, on her end, grinned. "Oh, speak of the devil! Kyle, my sweet boy, come here! So glad you could join us- oh! And you brought your little boyfriend with you, how sweet of you!"

"Bebe?!" Stan yelped as Kyle threw him to the ground before he stood next to Bebe, dead to the world. Prior to that, the shorter ginger haired boy had been holding him in an odd vice grip while flying across town with him in his grasp. They had been just walking and talking with Kenny when Kyle had suddenly hunched over, clutching his head, only to grab Stan's sides and head straight for the Black mansion, where A-Lister was.

The blonde diva stomped her foot. "Ooooh! Why can none of you get it right?! I'm  _A-Lister!_ Bebe doesn't exist! Open your ears, people!" And suddenly, a wicked smile crossed her face as she snapped her fingers, pulling out a feather to write on the paper that had fallen into her hands. "Or perhaps I shall open both ears and eyes instead-"

"Not so fast!"

A whizzing sound rang through the air, and A-Lister suddenly found her pen and paper knocked out of her hands, both disintegrating. With a ferocious growl, A-Lister faced the doorway, and saw Ladybug, who pulled their yoyo back to them and began spinning it around threateningly. Those not under A-Lister's spell cheered for the presence of their hero, and with a jealous growl, the diva snapped her fingers again. Another paper fell in her hand, and she pulled out the other feather in her mask before commanding, "My loyal followers! Protect your shining star while she writes!"

"Anything for you A-Lister." Wendy droned before surging forward, aiming for Ladybug. Nichole and Red followed suit.

"RUN!" Ladybug hollered at the boys, who didn't need to be told twice. Craig gathered Jimmy in his arms before running out of the room behind Ladybug, with Tweek and Kevin hastily carrying the boy's crutches. Stan looked at Kyle, then at Ladybug, before backing away with them. Token, however, was hesitant, staring at the thoughtless Nichole that was now lunging for Ladybug's throat. The spotted superhero only deflected any of her attempts with their yoyo, though they were anxious, wondering if Chat Noir had caught their earlier voice mail.  _Come on, Chat Noir..._ _huh?_ They glimpsed Token on the side, and yelled again, "I said RUN, you crazy boy!"

Token faltered. "But... Nichole-"

"I won't hurt her," Ladybug promised, seeing the anxiousness in his eyes.  _Golly gee... wish Ken would look at me like that- no! Snap outta it, Butters! You're Ladybug right now!_ With a shake of their head, they yelled once more, "Now go!"

The boy in the violet turtleneck ran.

"How rude!" A-Lister snarled before writing one last name in her list. With the last name, she let go of the list, and it disappeared into blue flames again.

Suddenly, Ladybug was being assaulted by their mind controlled classmates almost savagely, almost as if they were...  _animals?_ They spared a glance at A-Lister, who had settled herself in Clyde's arms before going out the window and getting away. They tried to follow, but they were restrained by Red tackling their back, growling like a lion and attempting to bite at their throat.  _Jesus Christ, what list did she write to get them like that?!_ Red was suddenly knocked out of the way by a bo staff - one that Ladybug recognized dearly - as a familiar voice drawled, "Was that a romantic rendezvous gone wrong, miladybug, or are you secretly that kinky?"

"If I was I would have fallen for you from the beginning, kitty!" Ladybug rolled their eyes as Chat Noir helped them up, only to yelp as Kyle growled and barreled into both of them, knocking them over the railing of the second floor of Token's house. The two heroes fell to the floor with a loud 'oof', and then rolled in different directions before Red pounced down on both of them from the second floor. Nichole, flying because of Bebe's list, squawked and surged for Chat Noir, only to be deflected by Ladybug's yoyo yet again.

Chat Noir held his bo staff at the ready. "Geez, what's with them? I didn't peg them to be demigods."

"It's the akuma, she- her lists can make anything happen! And she can make people listen to her every whim!" Ladybug explained as Wendy leaped to the chandelier before zoning in on them and jumping. Chat Noir instinctively caught her in his arms before letting go and dropping her straight on the ground, and with a yell, he whacked Nichole out of the air, sending her spiraling down atop Kyle. "Chat Noir! I promised T- I promised th'boy I wouldn't hurt her!"

"Well, you didn't, milady -  _I_ did. I'll explain myself to him later, but for now, we have to get that akuma!" With a nod, the two heroes bounded out of the Black mansion, just in time to see... "A parade? I wasn't aware there'd be a parade."

"No... look..." Ladybug pointed to the focus of the parade - a cackling A-Lister, on a throne, with Clyde by her side. The crowds of people by her feet were some of the other people of South Park, all mindlessly carrying her.  _No way... that's Mom an' Dad over there... and Karen... and the Asian girls, and the Goths, and- n-nearly everyone!_

Chat Noir whistled lowly before slamming the front door behind them - and right in Red's face, since the girl had been attempting to pounce on them from behind and his feline senses had picked up on it. "She's got nearly the entire town under her control... what did you say her power was?"

"... Lists. Her power seems to lie in her lists, so maybe we have to destroy that feather in her hand! She writes with it, and if we can destroy her feather, maybe the akuma will come out!"

"... For some reason, milady..." Chat Noir's eyes narrowed, finally recognizing the vivacious Ladyblogger under the mask.  _Can't believe I didn't notice it earlier... they have the exact same hair color, and it's literally just Bebe in a ponytail._  "I don't think that'll be where the akuma is."

Ladybug eyed him. "And why not? It makes total sense."

"No, it doesn't. Look," Chat Noir pointed to A-Lister. "She uses a new one every few seconds, and they keep regenerating from her mask. Masks have never been the akumatized object before- a-and why would she be wearing a mask around this time? It doesn't add up. Maybe there's something else."

His partner sighed. "I don't know what that something else is then. She seems oddly fixated on C- that one boy though." 

"How observant."

Both heroes froze. Chat Noir was suddenly  _incredibly aware_ of a pair of black gloved arms draped over his shoulders, and of a pocketknife pointed directly at Ladybug's neck. Ladybug's eyes followed the tip of the knife to the person holding it - a mind controlled Firkle Kraehe, whose violet eyes betrayed nothing but emptiness. A-Lister giggled as she leaned into Chat Noir's ear, purring, "Careless of a pair of heroes to stand around right where someone like li'l ol' me could see them. Oh well. Firkle, sweetie, the honors?"

"Anything for you, miss Bebe." Firkle intoned before pulling back to strike, only for a rock to knock the pocketknife out of his hands. With a furious growl, A-Lister's arms retreated as she stormed towards where the rock had come from - a cluster of hedges near the front of Token's house. She shoved her hand in, and pulled out... "Token Black. I should have known."

"..." Token only glared at her.

A-Lister's lips twisted in a cruel snarl as she shifted her grip on his sweater to the other hand before summoning another paper. "Can't believe I forgot you weren't on any of my lists. How shameful. But, we are all human - I just happen to be _superhuman_." She laughed before beginning to write Token's name on the list-

"Chat Noir, now!"

"Wha-" A-Lister let go of Token to whirl around as Ladybug and Chat Noir simultaneously swung their weapons - yoyo and bo staff - at the swarms of South Park residents, clearing enough space for Ladybug to throw her yoyo at the top of Token's house and pull the two of them up and away to safety. The heroes then began running across the rooftops as A-Lister shrieked, "AFTER THEM!", furiously beginning a new list - 'Fastest runners in South Park'.

Token, on his end, lifted his head up, watching as Nichole seemed to linger behind while the others all ran after Ladybug and Chat Noir. A-Lister, being carried away by the other mind controlled residents, didn't seem to notice the missing member of her entourage, so it was curious to see her just... floating there, an empty look on her face. The boy sat up, groaning and clutching his head, feeling a headache coming through, only to blink as something seemed to grow out of the ground in front of him - a flowering plant, with lavender petals.  _Lavenders...?_ The smell was oddly familiar, but he knew his parents didn't plant any lavenders in the garden recently.  _So then...?_

Nichole only hovered there quietly, still silent, as Token looked up at her. Her eyes were still blank, but when Token's gaze trailed down to her hands, he saw they were clenched. He could see the ground rumbling beneath her, as if threatening to break through, and in a moment of clarity, he had a slightly horrified thought. "... Nichole...?"  _Was it her...? She was Fleur de Leech, and... she made plants grow... so...?_

"..." Nichole only stared forward, unseeing. Token sighed - as long as A-Lister was still in control, he wouldn't get anything out of her.  _Ladybug... Chat Noir... come on..._

-=-

"You know, milady, all things considered, it could be worse."

"How in the goshdarned heck could anything be worse than this?!" Ladybug yelled before skidding across the ice of Stark's Pond, wincing at the slight burn it gave their palms. The followers crowded around the lake while A-Lister strolled through them, Clyde on her arm, basking in the praises they gave her as though she was walking down a red carpet, occasionally sticking her leg out and showing off her shoes. The crowd cheered, and the sight of it made Ladybug scowl. "She's paradin' Clyde around! Tauntin' us! She could be attackin' us at any moment but she's tryin' to make us let our guard down."

Chat Noir glanced at them oddly. "You seem oddly bothered about this, milady. Care to share?"

"They may be datin' out of uh... akumatization?" Ladybug wasn't even going to  _try_ to explain how they knew  _that_ \- and Chat Noir didn't ask, seeing how frazzled his lady was. "They may be datin' out of akumatization, but that just ain't right! Just because he gave her pretty shoes... SHOES!" A lightbulb suddenly lit up above their head. "Of course! Chat, you're right?"

"I'm right? I'm right!" Chat Noir brightened up. "Wait, about what?"

"The akuma couldn't possibly be in her mask... it has to be in her shoe!" Ladybug grabbed their yoyo, feeling like finally, things were falling into place. "His dad's the owner of the shoe store at the mall! Of course!"

Chat Noir only raised an eyebrow before shrugging. "I trust you milady. Lucky Charm?"

" ** _LUCKY CHARM!_** " Ladybug yelled. The yoyo was tossed in the air, releasing a swirl of magics, and the object that fell into their hands was... "What in the goshdarned heck am I gonna do with a fishing rod?"

_Make Chat Noir lead A-Lister to the center of the pond and keep her there before using Cataclysm when you're both off the ice._

_With A-Lister in the water, she can't summon more usable paper or feathers._

_Use the fishing rod to fish her out and hang her on a nearby tree branch while using the string of the fishing line to tie her up._

_Untie her shoes and free the akuma._

_Got it!_

"Chat Noir, can you get her to the center of the pond? I've got a little setting up to do." Ladybug threw their yoyo at the tree they would use for the plan, and with a salute, Chat Noir bounded straight up to A-Lister, startling her into letting go of Clyde's arm - an opening for the black clad superhero to scoop up the boy into his arms and run away with him, carrying him away bridal style.

"Don't mind me, just stealing your mans!" Chat Noir taunted. Clyde barely reacted in Chat Noir's arms as A-Lister shrieked shrilly and sent out Wendy and Kyle after him.  _No! I need A-Lister herself to come get him! This was a bad idea!_ Eyes darting around, Chat Noir caught sight of an opening between a group of trees, and quietly prayed that Clyde forgive him for this before yelling, "Look out, A-Lister, it looks like he's  _falling_ for you!" And with the superhuman strength that came with his Miraculous, he threw Clyde as far away as he could.

A-Lister's - and Bebe's, from the depths of her akumatized conscious - terror shone through in her voice as she screamed, "Save him! Save my darling! I'll deal with the mangy bottom feeder!"

The people of South Park, surprisingly enough, moved quick, with Kyle and Wendy at the front of the crowd, to slow Clyde's descent. Secure in the thought that they'd catch him, A-Lister made a quick list of 'best at ice skating with skates' before skating onto the ice, lunging straight for Chat Noir, who only yelled " ** _CATACLYSM!_** " and touched his claw to the ice before using A-Lister as a launchpad to the nearest flat rock near the shore.

The damage was instant. The ice, cracking and disappearing into black dust, made A-Lister fall straight into the water with a gargled scream - the signal for Ladybug to throw the fishing line at her. The fishing hook latched onto the back of her dress, thankfully enough, before she could sink further, and feeling the weight, Ladybug used all their strength to pull A-Lister out of the water, moving quickly enough to wrap the akumatized girl up in fishing line before swinging the rod over the branch she had picked out and jamming it in the ground, securing it with rocks. A-Lister dangled from the branch morosely, freezing cold and shivering, while Chat Noir bounded up to them, untying both shoes and tossing them to Ladybug. The hero tore both of them apart, and soon, a black butterfly wandered out.

Catching it with their yoyo, Ladybug murmured, "No more evildoing for you, little akuma - time to de-evilize!"

Once more, from the yoyo emerged a newly purified white butterfly, which soon flew off. "Bye bye little butterfly," Ladybug whispered as the akuma's dark magic bubbled away, leaving Bebe Stevens - now dry and disoriented, tied up in a fishing line. With Chat Noir's help, the two heroes gently deposited Bebe on a nearby rock and untied her, and, grabbing the rod, Ladybug threw it into the air. " ** _MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!_ "**

Red magic that had once been the fishing rod spread out all over the town, repairing all the damages. With Bebe's return, the citizens of South Park afflicted returned to their normal selves, confused as to what they were doing in the forest near Stark's Pond. Now that they weren't boosted by Bebe's powers, Kyle and Wendy only had a moment's notice before they both dropped to the floor with Clyde in their arms, struggling under his weight. The boy only laughed awkwardly. At Token's mansion, the ladybug magic swept over Nichole right before Token's eyes, and soon, he found his girlfriend standing there, confused. The lavenders that had sprouted, mysteriously enough, remained, as Token managed to stand up and throw his arms around her in an embrace, which she returned eagerly, albeit in a confused manner. As was customary, the two heroes fistbumped, saying, "Pound it!", while Bebe held her head, still very confused and very much cold.

"Bebe?"

The girl looked up as Ladybug and Chat Noir parted to let Wendy and Clyde through, the former standing before her and the latter throwing his arms around her, blubbering about how he was glad she was okay. "... Wendy? Clyde? What...?"

"You were... akumatized." Wendy murmured. "It's not your fault."

"..." Bebe looked up at the two superheroes and felt hot shame flash through her.  _I let my anger get the best of me..._ "I'm sorry..."

Ladybug smiled softly. "It's okay, Bebe. Your friend is right. It's not your fault. And besides, we were here to help you." They would have said more, but suddenly, both of the Miraculous beeped, signalling that their time in their costumes was short, and with a salute, both heroes swung/bounded away, leaving the three by the pond as the rest of the town went back to whatever they were doing.

"... Hey, Bebe?" At Wendy's voice, Bebe looked up. "There's another listmaking meeting again tomorrow, because we never did get around to writing the cutest boys list. You're still welcome to join, you know."

Bebe shook her head. "They'll mock me again."

"Don't worry. We already know what to do if they do - and we'll be stricter about it next time." Her gaze softened. "I'm sorry I didn't stick up for you as well as I should have earlier. I'm not a very good friend."

"Girl, you're one of the best. Don't put yourself down like that." Nuzzling Clyde with a sweet smile, she conceded, "Well, alright. I'll go tomorrow. But only because you asked."

Clyde and Wendy shared a look before beaming at Bebe, who only looked on in confusion. Wendy only laughed. "You'll see. Everything will turn out better tomorrow."

-=-

"If it isn't A-Lister."

 _Don't pay attention to her. Don't._ Bebe breathed in and out, trying to maintain her cool as Cherri looked even more displeased at her presence. "That would be me, yes, Cherri."

"I'm surprised you even had the guts to show up after yesterday," The girl cooed mockingly. "Funny, I didn't take you to be someone with an actual backbone."

"Funny, I could say the same about you!"

Bebe blinked. Now that voice was both familiar and  _not_ supposed to be in this hideout. With a scowl, Cherri looked around the room, while the other girls shrugged, claiming it wasn't them. The voice called out again. "Over here, cherry bomb!"

"Cherry bomb?!" Cherri looked affronted. "Who are you, bitch?!"

A hand shot up into the air, and everyone's heads turned to see...  _is that Clyde in a dress?!_ Bebe thought incredulously, watching as her boyfriend - wearing clothes that looked like they came from both Annie's and Red's closets - in a light brown plaited wig scoffed, crossing his arms. "That would be me, bitch. Try picking on someone in your league, because Bebe is way out of your league."

"Is that Clyde?" Red muffled a cackle near Bebe. "Holy  _shit._ "

Cherri's eyes narrowed. "Watch your tongue, skank, or I might just cut it off."

"It takes a skank to know a skank, sweetie." Clyde batted his fake eyelashes at Cherri, making the other girls giggle. Bebe tried to catch his eye, and once she did, gave him a questioning look. Clyde only gave her a sweet smile, lifting a single finger up to shush her, and not-so-discreetly gestured to Wendy, perched on her 'throne'. Bebe's gaze then swiveled to Wendy, who only gave her a secretive smile before gesturing for her to refocus on the argument between Clyde and Cherri.

Despite herself, Bebe smiled.

_**~ End of CH.9: A-Lister ~** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my GOOOOOOD this took so long i'm sorry i've been really demotivated and i just could never figure out how to connect parts of the chapter together - i already had parts written out but just couldn't make them flow into the other so here i am


	10. Knightlight/shade

_Slap. Slap. Slap._

_Butters's eyes darted frantically around in the darkness, trying to find the source of the sound. **Where is it coming from?! Gosh darn it!**_ _He had both arms outstretched, waving wildly around, searching for anything, anything to press his palms against, to no avail. It was a wonder he was still upright, really, since he couldn't even see his own two feet._

_Slap. Slap. Slap._

_The slapping sounds were getting louder. He had to hurry and find out the source!_

_Slapslapslapslapslapslapslapslap-_

**_SMACK!_ **

"GAH!"

Butters's head jolted up from his desk quickly as Mr. Garrison's ruler smacked his desk. Some of the other students giggled as Butters's eyes traveled upwards to meet the stern face of his teacher, and with a nervous swallow, he grinned awkwardly. "Erm... hi, M-Mr. Garrison."

"Butters Stotch. Asleep in my class again. When will you learn?" The man's gaze landed on the Ladybug Miraculous for a split second, but it was enough for Butters to reach up and untuck a lock of hair to hide it away.  _But... why am I feelin' so nervous 'round Mr. Garrison? It's not like he's Hawk Moth, is he?_ "Well, at any rate, stand up and recite the passage on the board for the class."

Reluctantly, the boy did so, and turned his gaze to the board. "' _In times of sorrow and strife in one's life, there will always be the choice between what's wrong and what's right. You will always have a choice between the good and the bad, and one will make you happy, the other quite sad. Either one you may choose, but remember this advice: there is never a right reason to do something wrong twice. Reasons are plentiful like the bounty of the spring, especially wrong reasons to do the right thing. A person who does wrong once may still live long, but_ _once you do it again, it is you in the wrong.'_ "

"Thank you, Mr. Stotch. You may sit down." Mr. Garrison said. As he sat down, the man then began to walk between the aisles, hands clasped together as he attempted to start a discussion. "Now, can anybody tell me what this quote means? Anyone?" His eyes scanned the class, and landed on someone. "Estella."

Estella stood up primly before declaring, "It simply means that if you do something absolutely and positively detrimental twice, you are a ball-suckling buffoon and you deserve no sympathy."

"... That is correct, in a sense, thank you, Estella. You may sit down." Mr. Garrison looked around the class. "Anyone else? Nichole?"

Nichole stood up. "It means that every human being has a choice between doing the right thing and the wrong thing, and there is never a right reason if you do the wrong thing more than once."

"Very good, both of you. Wendy? Anything to add?"

"Aw great, local bitch alert," Cartman muttered under his breath. "Everyone cover your ears- ow! Kinny! What'd you hit me for?!"

"Shut up, Cartman!" Kenny hissed, leaning forward on his desk to listen to Wendy intently. Wendy usually had a very good way of explaining things, and Kenny in particular adored listening to her explain in detail some topics that Mr. Garrison purposely left vague in order to make  _someone_ recite - usually Wendy or Kyle, and on occasion, Token.

Wendy rolled her eyes before explaining. "You can do something wrong once and call it an accident. To do something twice is suspicious, and to do it thrice is subject for judgment. A person who learns from their mistakes will prosper, while those who fail to do so are doomed to repeat history."

 _Doomed to repeat history._ Butters let his chin rest on his crossed arms, careful to let his eyes be shown so Mr. Garrison wouldn't think him asleep again. The words sent an odd chill down his spine, and initially, he was confused - until Tikki's curious jangling ran in his ears.  _History, huh... wonder if the previous Ladybugs had to deal with fallin' asleep in class too._ His gaze flickered to Kenny's, and despite himself, he sighed softly, a tiny smile making its way onto his face.  _And with silly darned crushes on their close friends..._

"Very good, Wendy. You may take your seat." Mr. Garrison headed for the blackboard, and began to tap his ruler against each word. "So you see, class, this author is trying to tell us that every person is always given a choice." His gaze swept over his class, unusually serious. "Even if you say you didn't have a choice, you always did have a choice - it just so happened you failed to see your choices, and only saw the one right in front of you. A person is always given the choice to do the right or the wrong thing, but never will there be a right reason to do the wrong thing. It would do everyone well to remember these words." He looked pointedly at Cartman. " _Especially_ you, Eric Cartman."

Cartman looked indignant. "The fuck did I do?!"

"Everything." Most of the class grumbled under their breath, just as the bell rang, signaling the end of class.

As the class began to gather their things and put them into their bags, Mr. Garrison erased the board, saying, "All right, children, for your homework assignment this weekend, please write an essay on whether the author was completely out of his mind writing the book this quote came from or incredibly before his time. Oh, and Mr. Broflovski?" The green eyed boy looked up. "Stay behind for a while, please. I need to speak with you."

"Uh, okay, Mr. Garrison?" Kyle slung his bag over his shoulder before glancing at Stan and the others. "I'll follow soon, you guys. If you wanna wait for me, just go to the park or something. I'm sure it won't be long."

Cartman opened his mouth, about to make a side comment, when he got shoved down face first into the floor. With an aggravated "Hey!", he stood back up again, just as Estella Havesham and Pip Pirrup passed by, the former sparing him no glance besides a look of utter disdain and the latter murmuring, "Many apologies, Eric. I'm quite sure she didn't mean to shove you."

"I mean everything I say and do, my little spaghetti-haired maggotspawn." Estella stated factually, making Pip color a most amusing shade of red. "Now don't dawdle. Your demonic boy toy has most likely finished his own meandering and is now waiting for our sorry behinds by the entrance."

"He's not my- never mind," Pip sighed before trailing after Estella. "Sorry again, Eric."

"I'm not sorry, so stop apologizing on my behalf."

"Grk-! Fine..."

"Let's go, Leo - Kyley-B here will follow soon enough." Kenny instinctively reached for Butters's shoulder to steer the much shorter boy towards the door after the two Brits, not noticing that Butters looked like he was about to spontaneously combust under his touch. Stan, seeing the look on his face, rolled his eyes, but waved to Kyle before following right after them. Finally, Cartman stuck his tongue out at Kyle, who stuck his tongue out right back at him, before even he left the classroom, leaving only Kyle and Mr. Garrison alone in the room.

Mr. Garrison quietly watched the entire exchange, an eyebrow raised. "I see none of you have changed in the slightest."

"I guess you'd know, since you've been our homeroom teacher since fourth grade." Kyle pulled up one of the chairs behind him to sit in front of the desk as Mr. Garrison took his own seat across from him. "So why'd you wanna talk to me, Mr. Garrison?"

The man tilted his head in such a way that the light from the window reflected from his glasses, hiding his eyes from view. "I've been hearing rumors that your Jewish ass has been running around during akuma attacks just to get footage for the school blog." Kyle's face turned paper white at his words. "Is this true?"

"Who told you?" Kyle asked, his voice an octave higher. He cleared his throat, but his voice was still way up there. "Are you... gonna tell me to stop?"

Mr. Garrison snorted. "Not that you'd listen to me. I just wanted to confirm it with you personally so I don't get PC Principal houndin' me all the goddamn time about it. Jesus, you'd think it affected him personally." He pinched the bridge of his nose - something that made Kyle snicker. He raised an eyebrow. "Somethin' funny, Broflovski?"

"Sorry, I just- Stan's usually the only one I see pinching the bridge of his nose." Kyle scratched the back of his neck, letting the laughter fade into awkward silence. "... Um. Is that all, Mr. Garrison?"

Mr. Garrison's gaze flickered for the briefest of moments to something behind Kyle, making the boy glance behind him and barely miss something duck in and out of his bag. When he saw nothing out of the ordinary, he turned back to his teacher, who only stood up, gathering his own things. "Yes, I suppose that will be all, Mr. Broflovski. A fair warning, however - don't get your sorry ass into so much trouble, alright?" His gaze was serious as he fiddled with the bracelet - the Turtle Miraculous - around his wrist. "You're one of the only competent kids I actually borderline trust in this goddamn school. It'd be a darn shame if I found your mangled body somewhere in a ditch after an akuma attack."

"Mr. Garrison, are you saying you'd miss me?" Kyle sounded incredulous.

With a roll of his eyes, he shooed away the boy. "Nobody would believe you if you told them, anyway. Now shoo."

"Still the same ol' Mr. Garrison." Laughing, Kyle stood up and returned the chair to its place before heading for the door. "Have a nice weekend, Mr. Garrison!"

"You too, Kyle."  _Both of you._

-=-

"So, what did Mr. Garrison want, Kyle?" Stan asked as the five boys walked towards the park together.

Kyle shrugged, scrolling through the inbox of the Ladyblog. Being one of the people working on the school paper and the blog meant he had access to the inbox - and often got bombarded by notifications as much as Wendy and Bebe did. Usually he left the girls to deal with it, personally, because Bebe was better at multi-tasking and Wendy was more patient than he was, but every now and then he 'braved' the masses of notifications to check on the blog, post updates, and the like. "He was just wondering if I was really running around getting footage for the blog."

"The Ladyblog?" Kenny raised an eyebrow, interested.

"What else? I  _have_ to get footage of the amazing Ladybug and Chat Noir, after all! They're absolutely amazing!" Kyle missed the soft smiles that bloomed on the blonds' faces as he spoke, typing up a reply to an anonymous asker. He also missed the sudden coughing fit that overtook both Butters and Kenny as he added, "Besides. Bebe's been thinking of branching out and making merchandise before the big name companies get to it."

" _Merchandise?_ " Butters squeaked.

Cartman, who'd been miraculously quiet the entire walk, suddenly spoke up. "The Jew probably means shit like figures, postcards, stickers, all that garbage."

"For once, you're right. Though the figures sound nice, I'll have to message Wendy about it first - she gets final say, usually," Kyle sent off another text before looking up. "So what was the agenda for today at the park, anyway? Just hang out with Craig and his gang or something?"

Stan shrugged. "Whoever's there, really. I think Token was planning on asking some of us to play basketball. You guys in?"

"I think I'll sit it out, sorry fellas." Butters apologized.

Kenny nodded. "Sounds like a great way to start the weekend. I'm in."

"Nah." Cartman shook his head.

"I'd rather not for now, I have deadlines to meet." Kyle murmured.

Stan looked at his friends before shrugging again. "Guess that means you three will sit it out then. Kenny, wanna be on my time later?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Hey guys!" Wendy waved from her seat on the bench. Next to her, Bebe was rapidly typing on her laptop while Nichole looked to be preoccupied with teaching Annie how to play cat's cradle. The Stoley twins were tag-teaming in trying to reach a kite that was stuck in a tree, while David and Gary looked like they were about to leave the park and were just waiting for Charlotte to finish getting a soda from the park's vending machine. Craig and his crew were shooting a few hoops only a few feet nearby, with Tweek rather frequently stealing the ball from Clyde and Token to dunk it in the hoop. Jimmy appeared to be keeping score from the side.

With a smile, Kyle wandered over to where Wendy was, Stan and Cartman following not too far behind, as Wendy gestured towards the empty seat next to her. He gladly took it, and despite himself, Stan felt the faintest hint of jealousy flash through him.

"Did Mr. Garrison ask you anything important?" Wendy asked as Kenny went to join the basketball game. Butters, on his end, sat on the ground by Wendy's legs, content to just open up his sketchpad and draw whatever came to mind, listening in on their conversation. Cartman was for once just quietly watching the basketball game, booing whenever anyone but Kenny shot a hoop.

Kyle sighed, placing his bag on his lap as Token deftly nabbed the ball from Craig to shoot a hoop. "He just wanted to know if I really was getting video footage of the akuma attacks. Like, up close and personal and the like."

"Don't tell me he banned you from doing so?"

"He  _can't,_ " Bebe immediately halted in her typing to stare at Kyle. "You're literally the only competent cameraman on the team - he can't ban you! How will the Ladyblog  _function_ without video footage?!"

Nichole looked away from a delighted Annie messing with the cat's cradle twined around her fingers to look at them. "I mean, there's always TV-"

"But they can't always be like,  _watching_ , can they?!" Bebe groaned, leaning on the bench dramatically, a hand poised over her forehead in an almost faint. "We very nearly didn't get any footage of Brother Bear if not for some helpful anon who sent in a video of the fight itself at the McCormick kids' house!"

 _What?!_ Butters, alarmed, started paying more attention. He could feel Tikki rattling around his bag as Bebe continued to rant.  _But- but there ain't nobody filmin' that fight! I remember! It was only me- Ladybug - an' Chat Noir, an' the McCormick kids! An' I know I locked Karen up in her room while Ken ran away! So then..._

"He's  _not_ banning me from filming, Bebe - he just told me to be careful," Kyle explained with a sigh. "Jesus, let a guy finish first, will ya?"

"Sorry."

"And with a shoot, he scores! Hell yeah, a slam dunk!" Clyde landed on his feet after his slam dunk, doing a small victory dance. "Uh-huh, yeah-heah, who's the man? The Donoman! Bebe, Bebe, did you see that?!" He turned to his vivacious girlfriend, beaming like a little kid on Christmas. "That was the winning point! I did it!"

Bebe, distracted from the conversation, smiled brilliantly at Clyde, genuinely delighted. "You did it, hon!"

"Yeah-heah! I did it, I did it, oh yeah, yeah yeah..." The brunet danced. "No losing here tonight, oh! No losing here tonight, oh!"

Craig rolled his eyes. "We  _get_ it, Clyde."

"No losing here tonight, we're on a-" Clyde promptly stopped, suddenly thoughtful. "Hm. I guess the phrase 'we're on a diet' doesn't work for this. I'll probably work on my victory cheer some more later."

With a shake of his head and a smile on his face, Token picked up the basketball, spinning it on his index finger as he faced the others. "Another round, you guys? Or are we taking a breather?"

"Cool it, Lebron. We're doing break time for now." Stan gave him a good-natured shove with his shoulder before moving behind the bench where the others were seated, reading Bebe's work quizzically from over her shoulder. "You're writing your own article?" At his words, the blonde journalist gave him a look, and he corrected himself. "Er, I mean... shouldn't Wendy or Kyle be writing the article instead of you, since..." Stan made vague gestures that everyone took to mean 'you're A-Lister'. "No offense."

Bebe rolled her eyes. "Oh poo, Stanley. I'm just lis- lis-" The girl made an odd choking noise, and the people closest to her looked to her in alarm. "L-"

"Bebe?" Nichole asked worriedly.

_the world will eat out of the palm of my hand_

_brains and beauty_

_beauty_

_brains_

_beauty_

_i WILL be the star_

The blonde shut her laptop forcefully, startling everyone. Kevin yelped as he and Esther toppled backwards into some bushes, completely failing to get their kite, while Token, who had been dribbling the ball by himself, turned to look at her, only to yelp as the basketball hit him square in the jaw. As Jimmy hobbled over to check on him, Bebe held a hand to her head, suddenly feeling very, very warm - and not in a good way. Her brows were furrowed, and though she appeared to be staring at her shoes, she wasn't really looking at anything - she was seeing something else. Flashes of events she remembered like one remembered dreams - blurry streaks of color on an expanse of white, with echoing voices and unclear words.

"Are you okay?" Kyle asked, putting down his phone in concern. "Bebe?"

"I... I'm not... feeling too hot all of a sudden..." Bebe murmured, her fingers fumbling for her bag. Butters watched in concern as Clyde immediately but gently took the laptop from her lap and slid it into her bag for her before zipping it shut, slinging the bag over one shoulder and holding both hands out to her to help her up. Gratefully, she took them, whispering her thanks before looking to Wendy and Kyle. "Wendy..."

Wendy gave her a reassuring smile as the Stoley twins set back to work on reaching their kite. "When you feel well enough later to do so, just send what you've already done. Kyle and I can finish the article on A-Lister, okay? Just... don't worry about it, and focus on getting better. You make sure she gets home safe, okay?" Her last sentence was directed at Clyde, who saluted to her seriously with his other hand.

"Yes ma'am!" Clyde declared. Moving closer to Bebe, he supported her from one side as he said, "Don't worry, Bebe. We'll get you home and you're gonna get better because I'm gonna help your mom with taking care of you, which means I'll make you chicken soup, and get a job, and pay the bills, and-"

Bebe laughed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "You goofball. I just don't feel too well, I'm not dying of a terminal illness. But... thank you. You really are a darling."

"Ugh. PDA." Cartman grumbled. Kenny gestured for Token to pass him the ball - which he did - before he threw it at Cartman. "OW! KINNY!"

As Bebe and Clyde walked away, Nichole glanced at Annie, who had paused in her game of cat's cradle to comment, "Sometimes, we really don't give them both enough credit, do we?"

"H-huh-how so?" Jimmy asked curiously.

"That boy's loyal to a fault. He could've left Bebe after all that happened, you know? But he didn't," Annie reminded them, her gaze returning to her hands. Her pinkies hooked at the two parallel strings in between her hands and pulled them over and under to start a new round. "And then there's Bebe. I think all of us girls - and Stan and Kyle - can agree that it's been years since the first list incident," Stan and Wendy nodded seriously at her words. "But she's still doing this whole 'atoning for her sins' things. A-Lister proved that much. It still bothers her, but she never shows it."

Kenny's gaze softened. "You girls are there for her though, aren't you?"

"We will always be there for her," Wendy promised. "But she seems to think that she always has to put on a strong independent facade so people don't just pin her as a 'dumb bimbo'- and if you say  _anything_ , Eric Theodore Cartman," Wendy turned sharply to the boy, who only gave her an irritated look. "I will  _throw_ you into the ocean and leave your fat ass for dead."

Butters bit his lip. "But we don't think she's that, do we? Why's she gotta prove herself over and over?"

"... Because one wrong move could change everyone's opinion of you." Stan realized quietly. As they looked at him curiously, he explained, "She's just trying to make sure nobody forgets that she's Bebe Stevens - beauty  _and_ brains. She knows very well how words and actions can change what people thinks of her - she runs the Ladyblog."

Understanding dawned on everyone's faces - besides Cartman's, who only rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "She's still dumb Bebe to me."

"And  _you're_ still fatass Cartman to us, so zip it, asshole." Kyle threw back at him.

With a harrumph, Cartman mumbled something under his breath, but Kenny, who was right by him, managed to pick up the words 'Clyde is stupid' and 'always A-Lister' before he inhaled sharply, turning to him. "Excuse me, what was that, Cartman?"

"I didn't say anything."

"I  _heard_ you. You said something about Clyde being stupid," Craig's gang all narrowed their eyes at that. "And something about A-Lister. Say it out loud, unless you're chicken."

Cartman attempted to kick at his shin, but Kenny swiftly moved out of the way as the boy grumbled, "You're all talkin' up Clyde and Bebe, but you're really just proving that Clyde is the stupidest guy in town. He's dating a villainess and still hasn't broken up with her. Major dumbass mood right there."

"She was an akuma victim!" Butters spoke up, feeling irritation spark up inside him. Tikki jangled nervously in his bag as he stood up, closing his sketchpad. "Hawk Moth took advantage of her negative feelings and convinced her to do their bidding! It's not her fault!"

Cartman snorted. "Was Hawk Moth the one making her feel?"

"... No," The shorter blond faltered for a moment before rebutting, "But that ain't no reason to be callin' Bebe a villain! She's a victim, like every other akuma victim in town!"

With a roll of his eyes, Cartman grimaced. "Suuuure, Butters. Everyone's a victim. Would victims be mind controlling the people, or setting fire to the town," Kevin and Esther's twin ladder wobbled as they remembered their stint as Yin and Yang. "Or terrorizing the school - me, in particular - and setting fire to the school,  _again_ ," Stan winced. "And not to mention turning people into bitchass zombie elf minions," Kyle's hands curled up into fists. "And oh, how could I forget, turning the entire town into a tree hugger's para-"

The sound of a basketball slamming straight into his torso echoed loudly in the park, and Cartman went crashing into the snow behind him with an 'oof'.

"Wow." Craig whistled lowly.

Tweek tugged at his collar. "Oh boy."

"Token!" Nichole looked dismayed as Cartman sat up, rubbing at his chest and glaring up at who had thrown the ball - Token Black. The tall black boy was looking down coldly at him as Cartman spat, "What the fuck was that for, you black asshole?!"

"One more word out of you about the akuma victims and I'm actually going to  _snap your neck_ ," Token snarled, making the others flinch back at how much venom there was dripping from his voice. "You have  _no_ right to talk about them that way when you directly caused at least  _two_ of them yourself. If anything,  _you're_ the villain here."

Butters and Kenny looked at each other almost instinctively, but immediately looked away from each other to look back at Token, though mentally, Butters was panicking.  _What in the hey was that, Butters?! Now Kenny prob'ly thinks you're weird and starin' at him at the mos' inappropriate times an'-_

 _That was... oddly familiar,_ Kenny mused mentally, pondering the nearly instinctual way he had glanced at Butters with worry for Token.  _But regardless... I don't like this gut feeling I'm getting._ Plagg rustled around in his jacket as he mentally added,  _And if Plagg's reaction is anything to go by, he's not very happy about this either._

"You wouldn't," Cartman dared. "You're too much of a goody two shoes."

"And you're tempting me to change my brand." Token bit out.

Stan stood up, attempting to appease him. "Token, it's not worth it. Come on, let's play another game. Maybe it'll make you feel better-"

"Not worth it?!" Token rounded on Stan, making the other boy raise his hands up defensively. "Did you not  _hear_ him, Stan? He literally just- that's- you guys were being-" He threw his hands up in the air. "God! I can't take this, just- I'm out. Tweek, you can take home my basketball, return it tomorrow or something."

"Token? Token!" Nichole scrambled to her feet, but Token was already leaving. "Oooh... I'm going after him."

"Twenty bucks says he's akumatized next." Cartman mentioned offhandedly.

Everyone could've sworn they heard something break as Nichole promptly slammed her heel into his foot before running after Token. 

-=-

**_"There really is no end to the people he manages to anger, is there? He even got to you, one of the calmest of the bunch. It's a wonder you remain as calm as the night."_ **

Hawk Moth knew it wasn't funny - there was nothing funny about what they did, really. But it was necessary - they needed them. They needed their champions to get the Miraculous for them. Gloved fingers reached out, and delicately, a white butterfly perched on the tip of their index finger as they pulled their hand back. Their free hand covered the butterfly the best they could, and, through the power of their Miraculous, the butterfly became infused with a strange, dark energy.  ** _"Perhaps it's time we introduced some shade into that light of yours, don't you think? Your girlfriend is too much of a light in your life."_**

Hawk Moth cupped their hands together and blew gently at the now black butterfly, the insect flying above and away from them. " ** _Fly, my little akuma, and evilize him!"_**

-=-

"Token! Token, wait!"

Nichole ran after Token, a hand reached out to him as he briskly walked away from the group. Once they were a good distance away from the others, he stopped by one of the trees near the local church, a hand pressed against the tree trunk as he breathed in and out slowly and heavily, trying to let go of his anger, but finding himself unable to.  _That damnable, lard-leaking, filth-spewing son of a-_ It took a lot out of him not to call Liane Cartman a bitch, because as much as he hated Eric Cartman, he could not honestly say that he hated his mother. Liane was arguably one of the nicest moms in the town, despite the fact that her son was anything but, and he did enjoy her cooking whenever Cartman pulled them all over for a round of Coon and Friends.

"Token..." Nichole's hand found its way to Token's cheek, rather terrified of the fury in his eyes but determined to snap him out of it. There was a strange nagging feeling at the back of her mind telling her to calm him down before it was too late, but she didn't exactly know why it was telling her this - she did understand that it was important he calm down, however. "Token, I'm fine, we're fine, it's okay-"

"No, it's not!" The taller boy snapped, making her flinch. Seeing her flinch backwards did  _something_ to his anger, however, because he seemed to deflate slightly, sighing in frustration. "Sorry... I just... he had no right to say that. At all. It was uncalled for, and- and-"

His amber eyed girlfriend frowned, her hands finding their way to his shoulders this time, gripping them tightly. "I know what you mean, but it's over now. It's Cartman. And I know we shouldn't tolerate him, but what's done is done. And it hurt a little-" At that, Token seemed to bristle. "- but! It's okay! I'm over it now!" She sighed. "I would like to request that you got over it too."

"I..." Token faltered, gazing upon her worried face, but just then, her face morphed into a look of terror, making him confused and overwriting a little bit of his anger. "Nichole? What's wrong?"]

_No! Cartman can't be right!_

"Get away from him!" Nichole yelled with such ferocity that he was caught completely off-guard when she shoved him into the tree, swatting at something. When he turned to face whatever she was swatting at, however, all anger at Cartman immediately faded, replaced with genuine horror and fear for the girl in front of him.

An akuma, black as the night, fluttered to and fro between the two of them.

_No- no, I can't let her become Fleur De Leech again! Not this time!_

From within their hiding place, Hawk Moth was nervously watching the akuma flit between Token and Nichole, unsure which one it would choose.  _I know I sent it out towards Token, but maybe it recognizes that Nichole's been akumatized before, and is reacting to residual traces of her previous stint as Fleur De Leech..._ They bit their lip.  _I may be the one with the Moth Miraculous, but even I don't know what's going on... do these akumas have minds of their own before choosing someone? Ack... w_ _ell... either way... I'll get my champion, and I'll get the Miraculous... I **need** that wish..._

_les fleurs du mal_

_les fleurs du mal_

_mal_

_mal_

_mal_

The quiet nagging voice at the back of her head was acting up again, and Nichole was distraught to realize that it sounded like her - but as Fleur De Leech. Furious, motherly, and overprotective of her 'children'. With Fleur De Leech's taunting whispers, and her deep desire to protect Token, the akuma had decided that having her as a victim again wouldn't be too bad, and was now consequently about to land on her earring again.  _I'm sorry, Token..._ She felt her eyes water as she scrunched them closed.  _But I have to-_

"You're not going to get her again!"

Her eyes opened a fraction of a second too late at the gust of wind that blew past her, ruffling her hair, as Token placed his body squarely in front of her, blocking her completely.

The akuma crashed facefirst into the yellow sweater that Token kept loosely tied around his shoulders, and coated it with dark magic. Almost immediately, he hunched over, in pain, as Hawk Moth found their connection to a champion at last, a white butterfly outline lighting up his face. Meanwhile, Nichole was tear-stricken as she yelled, "Token! Don't listen to Hawk Moth! Think positive thoughts! Think about- think about the gang! Your friends! Family! Me!"

 ** _"Hello there. That was so brave of you to do, almost like a knight._** ** _"_** Hawk Moth's voice was soft, caring, in awe of this boy.  ** _"How selfless of you. I've never seen anyone do that before."_**

"Anyone would do it for the person they loved," Token spat. "I'm not going to listen to you. You're not going to make me do something evil. I won't let you. I'm stronger than that."

 ** _"I know you are, but who said anything about evil?"_** In their hideout, the Miraculous user paced, occasionally stirring up the other white butterflies.  ** _"I just want to help you protect the one you love the most, no matter what. Isn't that one of your greatest wishes - for her to be eternally safe from all harm?"_**

"Token?! Token, please!"  _No, no, this can't be happening..._ And yet, before her eyes, Token's arms slackened, and he looked dead to the world. With tears in her eyes, she backed away, and headed back for the others.  _I need to warn them! I need to tell them-!_

 ** _"I'm glad you see reason, brave knight,"_** Hawk Moth interlaced their fingers together.  ** _"From now on,_** ** _you will now go by two names - one for each face."_** Hawk Moth, through the power of their Miraculous, projected the stylistic image of a sun and moon in Token's mind.  ** _"At your best, you are Knightlight, protector of the light, destroyer of the dark, and avenger of the weak, bringer of justice and peace. But when you have been wronged..._** " Their hand closed into a fist.  ** _"You are Knightshade, the emissary of the dark, corrupter of light, and the poison of the soul. You seek only vengeance. Only justice. Both faces seek justice."_**

Token's mind unconsciously conjured up Cartman's face, both in his mind, and Hawk Moth's. The boy let a low growl rumble in the back of his throat - one that Hawk Moth heard.  ** _"You seek justice, and to protect your princess. And I have provided the means for you to get it. All you have to do now is repay me in the form of fetching two important little trinkets.'_**

"I will not falter." Token swore, and as the outline faded away, the darkness bubbled up from the yellow sweater tied around his neck, consuming him.

-=-

"Stop whining, Cartman, you brought that on yourself." Kenny reminded.

"But it fucking huuuuurts!"

As Stan and his gang parted ways with the others, they turned the corner, the five of them - Stan, Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, and Butters - feeling particularly morose after the events of that day. Well, most of them, anyway - Cartman was just whining about the foot Nichole had 'grossly mutilated', as he claimed. Stan and Kyle were hanging near the front, quietly talking to themselves, while Cartman lingered behind them, and Butters and Kenny walked side by side behind him, both holding just the  _slightest_ bit of resentment for their rather annoying and provocative friend for speaking about the akuma victims as he had. Kenny had his hands shoved deep in his pockets while Butters clung to his bag rather tightly, fists clenched around the straps as though he was fighting back the urge to yell at Cartman. And honestly, who could blame him?

"Makes you wonder why we're still friends with him, huh?"

Butters blinked, and looked up at Kenny for a moment before raising an eyebrow, any usual flustered reactions to Kenny speaking to him so casually overruled in favor of curiosity. "Wha'd'you mean, Ken?"

"You know," Kenny glanced at Cartman, who was still favoring his 'injured' foot as he hobbled along behind Stan and Kyle. "Cartman."

"Oh." His face must have taken on a funny look, because Kenny muffled a laugh into the fur trimming of his hood. "Well uh, it's because we care about him, don't we?"

Kenny laughed dryly. "Unfortunately, for some odd, godforsaken reason, we do care about the bastard. You're right." He watched as Stan leaned over to lift one of Kyle's ushanka's ear flaps to whisper something in his ear while Cartman loudly yelled "Fags!" at them, even if he went ignored. "Wish I knew why, though. Out of all the crappy people in this redneck mountain town, and we still stick by this fatass."

"Well," Butters loosened his grip on his bag, relaxing his hands for a moment. His chest seemed lighter for the moment as he talked to Kenny, a tiny smile on his face. "He may be real mean an' crass, an', well, a bastard, but he's ours, ain't he? And he does, on occasion, actually stick up for us." At the look on Kenny's face, Butters corrected, "On rare occasions. Very rare occasions. But y'get my point, don'tcha, Ken?"

The taller blond nodded before wincing as Stan lifted Kyle off the ground and held him in a vice grip to keep him from throttling Cartman. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, I guess fuckups gotta stick together, don't we?"

"You ain't no fuckup, Ken. You're amazin'." Butters said, almost trailing off into a dreamy sigh before  _immediately_ realizing what he had just said, and feeling himself mentally disintegrate as he tried to remedy what he thought was a ruined situation. "Er- t-that is, you've done so much, y'know?"

As Kenny looked at his shorter friend, Butters began listing down Kenny's merits the best he could. "I mean, you're Mysterion an' all, right? That's the biggest thing that could make ya amazin'. And... and you're Princess Kenny! You're royalty! And you can throw ninja stars!" At that one, Kenny visibly winced, and Butters, despite himself, traced where the shuriken had hit his eye a long time ago. He hadn't been blinded, thank god, and over time, the scar had managed to fade well enough that it was barely visible unless you were really up close and personal with him. "S-sorry 'bout that. Erm, where was I? Oh! And you protect Karen all the time, and you joined me in Hawaii and listened to me when nobody else would and-"

"I get the point, Leo," Kenny smiled softly, and clapped a hand on Butters's shoulder. "Thanks. I guess when you put it that way... I'm not as much of a fuckup as I thought I was."

"Never think you're just a fuckup, Ken," Butters told him softly, daring to reach up with a hand to place it on top of Kenny's. It made him feel nice and warm. "You're more than that. You're Kenny McCormick. You're..."  _One of the sweetest and kindest and handsomest boys I know._ But before he could continue his sentence, they heard someone shrieking their names, and, in confusion they turned around - all five of them.

"Nichole?!" Stan immediately stood in front of Cartman instinctively, a little wary that Nichole was back for round two, even though they knew Nichole was usually too nice for even a round one. Today had been an exception. "Dude, what's-"

"Guys, please-" Nichole nearly stumbled and fell as she ran closer to them, but she managed to stay upright long enough to make it to them. Unfortunately for her, she fell straight onto Cartman, who, while very miffed at her, could not find it in himself to drop her, because she was honestly one of the few people who was genuinely nice to him at all times save for today's incident. She tried to pull herself up by pushing her palms down on his shoulders, fingers scrabbling for purchase as she panted, "Token- he's- we have to-"

"What happened to Token?" Butters asked, suddenly on high alert. But Nichole had already fainted in Cartman's arms.

And, as though answering his question, the sound of something loud and metallic rang through the air as a very, very large shield dropped down behind Butters and Kenny, the bottom embedding itself in the sidewalk. As the other citizens of South Park scattered in fear, the shield shrank until it was of a much more manageable size, revealing a very tall armored figure - at least two heads taller than Stan. The armor itself was of the purest white, highlighted with blues - the feather sticking out of the helm, the poleyns inlaid with two blue gems, one on each knee, and the gauntlets inlaid with two blue gems as well, one on each hand. On the helm was an odd symbol - an ancient, almost rune like drawing of the sun, but within its sphere was a darkened crescent, representing the moon. The sun's symbol itself was vibrant yellow - like the figure's long cape, and you could see nothing of the figure's face, save for two distinct orbs of yellow floating in the inky blackness within the helm. The rest of the exposed parts of the body were covered in what appeared to be chainmail.

The boys all took a step backward as the figure straightened itself out, looking at the five boys before locating Nichole in Cartman's arms - sort of. Instantly, it was like something had overcome the armored figure, and in a split second, it had surged forward, pushing away the other boys to knock Nichole out of Cartman's arms, catching her safely in its own.

"H-hey! What are you doing?!" Kyle asked, wincing at the skid burns on his palms from falling on the sidewalk. "Put her down!"

The figure looked at Kyle. When it spoke, the voice was echoing and metallic, and distinctly masculine. "I have no quarrel with you, Elven King. I have come for the Princess of the Sun, and her alone." He cradled Nichole closer to his chest. "If you wish not meet the champion of the night, then allow me to leave unhindered."

"Listen, guys, he wants the chick. Let's just let him go and-" Suddenly, Cartman found himself pressed to the ground by the shield, and the orbs of yellow that appeared to be the armored person's eyes narrowed. "Ay! What gives?! I'm lettin' you go!"

"You are a detestable maggot," The armored person declared. His eyes seemed to glow red as black flames bloomed from the soles of his feet. "To snap your neck would be a waste of effort."

 _Token-!_ Butters's hands flew up to his mouth in realization.  _I have to get out of here- transform-_

 

"To snap my- Token?!" Cartman suddenly guffawed. "I was right! He  _would_ be the next villain! I fucking told you guys-"

In a split second, the armored figure's shield had disappeared. In its place, a very, very large broadsword, had cleaved through Cartman. Frighteningly enough, the figure had done it all with one hand, even though broadswords were a two handed weapon, and, in horror, the other boys watched as Cartman's figure disappeared into black birds - crows, which flew up into the air and out of sight. As the figure straightened out again, Butters noted the distinct change in his appearance. What was once white was now pure black, highlighted with violets, and the sun symbol on the helm had faded, the crescent moon now glowing bright white instead. The cape, however, remained a vibrant yellow.

"Impure of heart. Crow's food." He said almost dismissively. He then looked at the other boys, and zeroed in on Kyle. "... You are a danger to my princess, Elven King."

Kyle paled, shakily standing up. "I-I'm- I'm not your-"

"For my princess, I will eliminate you!" And with that, the knight surged forward, Butters and Kenny barely getting away as Stan immediately moved in front of Kyle, pushing him away. As the blade cleaved through Stan, the boy turned to look at Kyle, and smiled before mouthing 'go', and then disappearing into doves, which then flew up into the sky as well.

The knight sniffed. "How brave a knight you have, to sacrifice himself like that. But now you are defenseless, and-" The knight blinked.

Kyle had already run.

And so had the two Miraculous holders.

"Cowardice!" The knight roared. "You will be ousted from the throne! Unrightful king!" He held the fainted Nichole closer to his chest protectively. "And I will carve a world fit for my princess. My sunshine."

-=-

As Butters ran into the nearest public restroom, Tikki swooped out of his bag worriedly. She didn't speak, however, until Butters locked the door behind him and groaned, slumping to the ground.

"Now's not the time for rest, Butters!" Tikki chastised. "Your friend needs your help!"

"I know Tikki, I know!" Butters groused, holding a hand to his head. "Ughhh. Man, Ken was right. Why  _are_ we friends wi' Cartman if all he does is provoke people like tha'?"

Tikki patted his cheek gently. "You already know the answer to that, Butters. But now is not the time for rumination - it's time for purification! It's time to be Ladybug!"

"You made that up on the spot, didn't'cha?" Butters teased.

"Oh, hush you."

"Tikki, spots on!"

-=-

"Why can't you ever pick the nicer places to- ooooh, I smell Camembert!" Plagg immediately dived into the dumpster Kenny had hidden behind, making the parka wearing boy smack his forehead in exasperation. "Man, just because it smells bad doesn't mean it's gone bad yet! You humans are so wasteful!"

"Can we just get back to the problem at hand - a.k.a., my friend getting akumatized because of Eric Cartman again?!" Kenny groaned. "Seriously Plagg, it's times like this where I doubt you're actually being serious about me being a superhero."

He could practically hear the rolling of Plagg's eyes in his voice, even while the kwami was still deep in the trash. "You're serious enough for the both of us. Loosen up a li'l, won't'cha? Won't hurt you to be just a little more free. And anyway, isn't Mysterion the broody serious superhero, and not Chat Noir?"

"Yeah, but Ladybug needs me, Plagg!" Kenny clenched his fist. "I can't let her down. We're a team. Plagg, claws out!"

Plagg groused, "You sound exactly like my previous Chat No- _waaaaaaah!_ "

-=-

**_mal_ **

**_mal_ **

**_fleurs du mal_ **

_Mmm... shut up..._

**_mal_ **

**_mal_ **

_Ugh... what a nightmare..._ Nichole's hand went up to her head as she groaned quietly, attracting the attention of the knight carrying her in his arms.  _I feel... strangely warm. And cold at the same time? What's happening? Where am I?_

"Are you awake, my sunshine?"

"T... Token...?" Nichole blinked open her eyes blearily, but only met the wide yellow orbs that belonged to the knight, who had reverted back into the white armor.

He shook his head. "I am Knightlight. Your protector, your shield. My armaments are at your service alone." At Nichole's wide eyed stare, he gently put her down, and it was then she discovered that they were on the roof of one of the buildings in town. She wandered off to the edge, looking down at the street, as Knightlight approached her from behind, but stood at a respectable distance away from her. "As the princess, it is your royal right to shape this kingdom to your heart's desire, and as your loyal knight, I will make it happen. Eliminate your foes, clear the paths, create your fortresses..."

"Princess? Token, I'm not royalty, I'm just... Nichole." Nichole turned to face him. "And I think that that's enough of this 'Knightlight' nonsense. Can you please go back to normal now? You're not yourself right now."

"You are correct. This is but a half of me. The kinder part of me," Knightlight answered. "The other half will only surface when I've been wronged, or when you've been slighted in any manner. You need not see that part of me unless absolutely necessary, princess."

"But I'm  _not_ a princess!" Nichole insisted, though the voice in her head seemed to think otherwise.  ** _A princess you are not, but a mother, a queen to the plants, you are. Accept it._** _Oh, shut up, you!_ Nichole scolded mentally before turning back to Knightlight. "Please, Token - Hawk Moth is controlling you. You have to break free."

"Hawk Moth holds no control over me."

"Well- influenced you, somehow! I know how this goes, I've been there before!" Nichole pleaded. "Please, Token-"

"It's Knightlight, princess - but it looks like I must be Knightshade for now." Knightlight's eyes narrowed and turned red at something behind Nichole, and she turned to see Ladybug and Chat Noir bounding across the rooftops towards them. "Please, close your eyes, and don't let go."

"Don't let go-  _AAAAAAAAH!_ " Nichole shrieked as Knightshade scooped her in his arms and bounded straight at Ladybug and Chat Noir, swiping at them with his broadsword. The two heroes backflipped away as Knightshade's boots skittered against the rooftops, knocking off roof tiles and breaking cement as he propelled himself at them again with another wide swing of his broadsword.

Ladybug gulped as Knightshade sliced off a bit of their hair, the bit disappearing into a tiny dove.  _Yikes! That was a close one. I better be more careful._ With a spin of their yoyo, Ladybug launched themself at a nearby chimney and kited Knightshade from atop it with their yoyo, though this was soon finished when Knightshade cleaved through the chimney, making the chopped off section disappear into crows and doves, and Ladybug fall off with a yelp - into Chat Noir's arms.

"Has Santa come early? A present fell from the roof!" Chat Noir cooed. Ladybug rolled their eyes before yelling, "Look out, Chat Noir!"

"Whoa!" Chat Noir immediately dropped to the floor with Ladybug as Knightshade raised their blade and sliced it straight through the building they were on, making both halves disappear into crows and doves as the people inside all screamed and ran away, seeking shelter. A few cowered behind bookshelves and desks that remained untouched as Chat Noir said, "Ladybug, you go lead them outside. I'll hold him off."

"Chat, you can't do this alone!" Ladybug insisted.

"I know - that's why you gotta hurry. Get the civilians out of here!" Chat Noir nodded his head at the hiding South Park residents, and with a reluctant nod, Ladybug ran over to them, ushering them along and out of what had once been the local bookstore. Pip Pirrup and Damien Thorn, in particular, had been in the bookstore, and had been consequently staking it out beneath some fallen bookshelves when Ladybug had located them, holding a hand out to them.

Pip gladly took their hand. "Oh, thank you ever so much, Ladybug! We weren't sure what we'd do!"

"I did. You just insisted we hide under here." Damien grumbled.

Ladybug nodded to the both of them. "Come on, you two. It's time to find a safer place, and it's definitely not under those bookshelves- AH!" They wrapped their arms around the two boys and pulled them away, just as Knightshade's blade cleaved through where they had been hiding, making the bookshelves disappear into crows and doves. "Come on! You, protect him-" They pointed at Damien. "- and you, make sure it's safe!" They pointed at Pip. "Now go!"

"Ohhhh no. I'm not leaving without a parting gift." Damien's hands erupted into flames, and with a battle cry, he began firing flames at Knightshade. Ladybug only screeched, "NO! NO, YOU DARNED- YOU'RE JUST MAKING HIM ANGRIER!" as Pip only palmed his face with one hand, the other hand cradling its elbow. "Oh dear. Damien, not again."

"He always does this?!" Ladybug yelled frantically as Knightshade swung at Damien, a terrified Nichole still in his embrace.

Pip nodded ruefully. "Unfortunately. He's rather reckless. Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry about this Ladybug. DAMIEN! WE NEED TO GO! STOP!" This last part was yelled at the raging half-demon, who paused in his attacks to look at the Brit- a fatal mistake. Knightshade cleaved through him, and with wide red eyes, Damien Thorn disappeared into ravens into the sky.

Pip, wide eyed, sank to his knees.

 _Oh no, ohhhh no no no-_ "CHAT! GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" Ladybug roared their command as they tossed their yoyo at Knightshade's sword and sword arm, trying to get a hold of them. "I'LL HANDLE THIS!"

"Alley-oop, pretty birdie!" Chat Noir scooped a motionless Pip into his arms before using his bo staff to launch himself a little far aways from where they had been, gently putting Pip down by a tree. "Stay here, li'l guy, okay? We'll fix everything."

Even when he left, Pip hadn't moved an inch.

-=-

"You dare get in the way of the reign of the Sun Kingdom?! Then I shall show you the wrath of the moon!" Knightshade raised his sword in the air, and much to Ladybug's dismay, the skies grew darker, the sun sinking past the horizon, as the moon rose to the sky. Dark power surged into the sword, and when he pointed it at Ladybug, the hero immediately backed away, barely missing his swing.

Chat Noir, on his end, swung back over, only to yelp as he barely missed the swing as well. "Jeez! Night time already? How time flies."

"No- that's one of his powers as Knightshade!" Ladybug explained. "He made the sun set and the moon rise! And if I'm right, he can do the reverse! He's just stronger as Knightshade!"

"Have at thee!" Knightshade roared, lunging forward.

"Cape! CAPE!" Nichole screamed from Knightshade's hold at the Miraculous holders who were trying to avoid Knightshade's many swings.

Chat Noir looked at himself, then at Ladybug, before deflecting a swing with his bo staff, barely missing getting it cleaved. "We're not wearing capes."

"No... but  _he_ is! The akuma has to be in there!" Butters pointed at the yellow cape that seemed to float with a strange magic. "It's the only thing that never changes in color when he's attacking- ha!" Ladybug tossed the yoyo at him again, but Knightshade had reverted to Knightlight, and had deflected their attack with the shield. In a moment, however, he was Knightshade again, and on the offensive once more.

Chat Noir beamed, and then attempted to bean Knightlight with an elongated bo staff. Knightlight returned again for a split second as the bo staff pressed against the shield, but in a few moments, Knightshade had returned again, slicing the tip of the bo staff off. Chat Noir pulled it back, alarmed. "Um, milady? Now might be a good time to use-"

" ** _LUCKY CHARM!_** " The yoyo went flying up in the air, and down came... "A parasol? But it's the middle o' the night!"

Chat Noir beaned Knightshade again - or at least, tried to, but Knightlight had returned, holding the shield up over his head. In the shade it gave, Ladybug noticed the moon symbol on his helm grow fainter, and suddenly, the plan came to them.

_The symbols on his helm show how much power he has stored._

_Get Chat Noir to use Cataclysm on his sword while he's Knightshade so he's forced to be on the defensive._

_Make sure to attack him only from above so he's forced to take shade under the shield._

_Get Chat Noir to trick Knightlight into letting go of Nichole before lodging the parasol into his helm, and tying his hands together._

_Got it!_

"Chat Noir, I need your lucky paw! But don't use it until I tell you to!" Ladybug yelled, running to the side. Knightshade returned in an instant, swinging his sword at them.

Chat Noir smirked. " ** _CATACLYSM!_** " Destructive magic pooled at his claws, and Ladybug yelled, "His sword! Use it on his sword- AH!" Knightshade's blade cut off a whole pigtail, and it disappeared into doves.  _Shit!_ Ladybug cursed mentally, touching the frayed strands where Knightshade had cut, fearing that they could be recognized as Butters. It was only when Nichole yelled, "LOOK OUT, LADYBUG!" that they snapped out of it, and barely missed the blade's swing again.  _Fuck! That was close!_

"Didn't you know shields are overrated in fighting games?" Chat Noir teased before laying a claw on the sword just before Knightshade could swing it again. The sword disappeared in his hands into ash, and with a delighted grin, Ladybug threw their yoyo at Knightshade again - only Knightshade had reverted back into Knightlight, the disintegrated sword traded in for a shield.

 _That's it!_ "Chat Noir, stay on the ground! I'll attack from the rear- and watch out for falling princesses!" Ladybug jumped onto a roof's edge before jumping for Knightlight's helm, only to bounce off the shield he had hastily thrown up in his defense.  _Perfect!_ Repeatedly, they threw the yoyo at the shield, trying to coax Knightlight into keeping it up, until both of his hands had moved up to hold the shield up. "Now, Chat Noir!"

"Sorry dude, looks like your princess is in another castle!" Chat Noir immediately caught Nichole in his arms. "Specifically, my castle. Stole your womans right here."

"MY SUNSHINE!" Knightlight roared, but he couldn't revert to Knightshade - he was without sword. So instead, he was forced to use his shield, and with both his hands freed, he gave a mighty grunt, and pushed upwards, launching Ladybug off - but not before Ladybug hooked the parasol into his helm and shoved the handle deep inside his armor, making sure the parasol covered the sun and moon symbol on his helm. Within moments, Knightlight's movements slowed to a stop, until finally, he was like a suit of armor, the balls of yellow that were his eyes now gone in the darkness.

Ladybug tore off the cape, and tore it in half, releasing the akuma. They smiled as they captured the akuma with their yoyo. "No more evildoing for you, little akuma - time to de-evilize!"

Once more, from the yoyo emerged a newly purified white butterfly, which soon flew off. "Bye bye little butterfly," Ladybug whispered as they took the parasol and threw it into the air. " ** _MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!_ "**

The red magic forming the parasol scattered across the town once more, repairing all the surroundings and the damages. The bookshop restored itself, and all the destroyed objects in it, and the destroyed rooftops and buildings all got fixed again. The moon sank back, but only slightly lower, seeing as that it was already nearing night time already, and any people cleaved by the blade returned in a burst of red magic - including Stan, Cartman, and Damien, where they had initially disappeared. Well, besides Damien, who materialized inside the bookstore. Cartman looked absolutely relieved to be back, while Stan turned over his hands, amazed that he was still alive. Damien, however, was oddly quiet. Ladybug was about to comment on it when the akuma's magic bubbled away, leaving Token Black standing there, blinking repeatedly as though awakening from a deep slumber. The yellow sweater lay by his feet, repaired.

"Huh...? What... my sweater...?" Token's eyes found its way down to the sweater on the ground, and, confused, he picked it up, only to feel arms around his shoulders - familiar arms. He glanced behind him. "Nichole...? Where are..."

"Never," Nichole whispered. "Never scare me like that again. Please. Never do something so reckless again."

Token was confused, but then he noticed Ladybug and Chat Noir, and understanding dawned on his face. "Ah. I just..." He shook his head. "No. There's no forgiving it. I just... didn't want you to become Fleur de Leech again. I would never have forgiven myself if I hadn't done something about it when I could have."

"But that turned you into Knightlight and Knightshade in turn," Nichole's fingers clutched at his purple sweater. "Just... never again. Please. Never again."

"Nichole..." His gaze softened, and he turned around, wrapping her in an embrace, which she returned. "Alright. No promises... but I'll try my best." To Ladybug and Chat Noir, he glanced at them. "And... thank you. Both of you."

"It was our job." The Miraculous beeped, and Chat Noir turned to Ladybug. "And speaking of jobs, miladybug? A word, maybe? School roof, like last time."

Ladybug blinked. "Um... s-sure- Chat, our Miraculous!"

"I'll meet you 'round ten o'clock!" Chat Noir hollered before he bounded away. Ladybug gave Token and Nichole one last glance, and when it looked like they hadn't even noticed their last glance, Ladybug shook their head, smiling, before swinging off for home to detransform nearby.

-=-

As Ladybug swung over to the rooftop of South Park Elementary, they found Chat Noir already seated on the edge, just looking out over at Stark's Pond. Curiously, they took a seat next to Chat as well, and did the same. All was quiet for a few minutes, until finally, Chat spoke. "What a way to start the weekend, huh, Ladybug?"

"... Oh!!" Ladybug smiled and laughed. "Guess so. Pretty hectic, if y'ask me. Didn't expect one to happen right before the weekend. Guess even Hawk Moth took advantage of the afternoon." With a sigh, they pulled up a leg to their chest, leaning an arm on their knee and leaning their face against said arm. Thankfully, their pigtails had been restored. "Y'think Hawk Moth would ever do an akumatization at night?"

Chat Noir shuddered. "Wouldn't count out the possibility they already did that. Remember Fleur de Leech?"

"Oh, righ', righ'," Ladybug hummed thoughtfully. "But we technically fought her in the day, though. What if Hawk Moth ever akumatized someone during the night and we were asleep?"

"That's what I was gonna lead up to, actually," Chat Noir turned to face them. "What if we did patrols at night together? One of us takes the east part of town, the other takes the west, and we can make rounds to make sure everything peaceful before going to bed. We could set up a schedule and everything."

Ladybug thought about it. "Well. That's not a bad idea, actually. Hopefully it don't interfere with our civilian lives too much if we stay up particularly late."

"Naaah." Chat Noir made a 'psh' sound, waving it off. "Cats are very nocturnal! And if I'm right, some species of ladybugs are as well! Are you one of them?"

Ladybug rolled their eyes. "I like my beauty sleep, Chat."

"Aw, you don't need them, miladybug." Chat Noir batted his eyes, and Ladybug giggled, waving him away. "But back to business. You up for patrolling the town, Ladybug? It'll have to be every night, though, so we don't miss anything."

Ladybug nodded determinedly. "It's a very sound idea, an' I like the sound of being able to watch over the town however we can. We've been given this responsibility - and it's important we make sure we're doing our jobs." Both Miraculous users stood up, and stepped back onto the safety of the roof, as Ladybug grabbed their yoyo, getting ready to swing back home. "So... tomorrow? Same time?"

"Same time." Chat Noir nodded. "Good night, milady."

"Good night, Chat. Happy weekend."

"And to you too."

-=-

In another house in South Park, Kyle Broflovski turned over in his sleep, and splayed out an arm and draped it off the edge of his bed. His hand knocked over his bag, which had been leaning against the bed, making his notebooks spill out on the floor.

And among the notebooks, a single octagonal black box fell out, untouched.

_**~ End of CH.10: Knightlight/Knightshade ~** _


	11. The Mysterious Beginnings of Mysteroux

Kyle didn’t notice the black box until Sunday night.

Which was amusing, given that normally, he was particularly neat about his school things and would very much prefer that they weren’t scattered across his floor where he could trip over them. But it wasn’t his fault – for one thing, he had to jog over to Bebe’s house on Saturday as early as possible to get her drafts for the article on A-Lister since she hadn’t felt better at all after her bout of lightheadedness last Friday. The rest of the day had been spent alternating between helping Ike with his homework, working on the Ladyblog, and talking with his friends online. Sunday had been spent with his family – and avoiding getting hit by one of the latest akumatized people.

“Stay here, Kyle, and make sure Ike doesn’t wander off!” Sheila chastised, pulling out some leaves and branches from the tree above her before placing them above the bush she’d thrown her two children in, to hide them both before she did… whatever it was she planned to do. The latest akuma happened to be a kindergartener, upset that they weren’t allowed to bring their puppy to school, and had thus thrown a tantrum and stormed off into the playground, where they’d gotten akumatized into Puppy Surprise – an akuma victim with the ability to summon platitudes of puppies that could stack together into larger dog-like beings.

Ike squirmed next to him, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of just staying in the bush their mother had left them in. “Kyle, come on! You know staying here is a dumb idea!”

“And running out there is an even dumber idea!” Kyle hissed back. If he were to be absolutely frank about it, he’d say he wasn’t comfortable either being so immobile and in one place, even if they _were_ hidden. _Idle hands do the Devil’s work,_ or something along those lines, as Father Maxi said. Not that he was Catholic. Or overtly religious, for that matter.

The Canadian, despite his brother’s hisses of ‘stop moving!’, reached out with a hand to pull at the leaves, opening at least a sliver of a peephole big enough for both of them to peek out of. “At least try and see what’s going on, come on! Wendy’s gonna be so mad if she finds out you were here and not getting footage for the Ladyblog!”

_And Mom will actually serve my ass as a non-kosher luncheon to the Marshes if she finds out I ran out there just to film a brat obsessed with their dog!_ Kyle thought moodily. He did, however, peer out of his half of the peephole, while Ike, with a satisfied smirk, went to join him.

From their vantage point, they could see that Puppy Surprise had caused quite the stir. Puppies were quite literally running all over the place, peeing on fire hydrants, poles, and one nearly peed on the bush they were hiding in. The only thing that had stopped it had been the familiar whirring sound of a black spotted red yoyo, the puppy disappearing into a puff of pink dust with an audible squeaking sound. In its place, however, three more puppies spawned, barking at Ladybug.

“Ladybug…” Kyle whispered softly, and just as he’d said their name, the aforementioned superhero swung past the bush they were hidden in, yelling for Chat Noir to do something as the puppies chased after them. In the distance, the Broflovski brothers could make out the black leather-clad figure of the cat superhero doing a midair somersault to avoid a particularly large puppy amalgamate from licking him. A swarm of puppies trampled past their bush, ruffling the leaves loudly, but they all soon disappeared after Ladybug’s yoyo whirred through them – only to multiply by three.

_They’re so cool…_ The ginger thought almost dreamily, before shaking his head wildly, remembering their situation. “Shit. Ike, come on. Let’s just stay quiet until-“

_Huh?_

When he’d gone to reach for his brother, his hand only met cold air.

The first thought that crossed his mind was that Ike had left during the puppy swarm, the leaves’ rustling disguising his escape.

The second thought that crossed his mind was that Sheila would fucking murder him.

He gulped audibly.

-=-

“One job! One job, Kyle, and you fucked it up again!” Kyle whisper-yelled at himself as he ran down the street, occasionally ducking behind a tree or bush or into an alley to avoid a puppy squadron barking up a storm as they tumbled all over each other to chase after some poor South Park citizen. It was bad enough that Ike was smart enough to cover up his snow prints, but he had to deal with Puppy Surprise’s bullshit on top of that.

What a nightmare.

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn’t notice a particularly large St. Bernard puppy, sneaking up on him from behind. A single loud bark, however, snapped him out of it, and he turned around in mute fear – just in time to see the puppy disappear into a cloud of pink before it descended on him. Just before the three puppies could spawn again, arms reached out and wrapped around Kyle’s torso before pulling him away and into a nearby alley, crouching behind a dumpster. The puppies spawned, but, upon finding nobody there, barked and ran away.

Kyle and the person panted, trying to catch their breath before the other spoke. “You really should pay attention to your surroundings more, carrot boy. Perhaps you’ll survive longer.”

Kyle’s eyes finally focused on his savior. He _never_ thought he’d be so glad to see Estella Havesham out and about on the streets. “I was-“

“Thinking, yes, I know. We all do,” Estella looked around, darted out again to the street, and bent down to pick something up, and it was then Kyle realized that the object that had made the puppy disappear had been Estella’s handbag, which she’d thrown at it. She stood up, dusting herself off as Kyle approached her. “Better to be thinking in relative safety than out in the open, however. Did you forget?”

Kyle flushed nearly as red as his hair. “I didn’t- um. You know what, never mind. Have you seen Ike?”

“Small egg-headed Broflovski?” Estella considered this for a moment, tucking her purse under her arm again with a frown. Grayish blue eyes flickered over to something behind him before looking back at him as she pursed her lips. “I believe I saw him tailing after Ladybug. Or was it Chat Noir? Either way, he is as reckless as you, running right into the fray like that. You are lucky he is intelligent.” A ghost of a smile crossed her face. “If he wasn’t so clearly Canadian, I’d have thought it runs in the family.”

The boy wasn’t as pleased as she was about the discovery, however. With a frustrated groan, he bemoaned, “Mom told us to stay away from the akuma attack, and what’s he doing? Running straight into it! I’m supposed to be the idiot brother running into akuma attacks to record for the Ladyblog, not him!”

“You could go after him, you know.”

“And probably get into more trouble?!”

“Think about it this way – at least you can guarantee your brother’s safety, no?” Estella said matter-of-factly. “I know you are smart, carrot boy. You beat me in the class rankings for a reason. Remember that. Now if you will excuse me,” The girl grabbed hold of her purse again, took a step back, and swung as hard as she can before launching her purse yet again at something behind Kyle. As she ran past Kyle, he looked behind him, and discovered the reason for her attack – Gary Harrison and his youngest sister, Amanda, sitting on his shoulders, were being cornered by puppies.

_Huh,_ Kyle thought with undisguised amusement before he shook his head wildly, growling to himself and turning around, running. _Dammit, no time to get distracted! Ike could be anywhere by no-_

“CHAT NOIR! THAT CIVILIAN!”

Ladybug’s voice rang out in alarm, just as a wave of puppies burst out of a building to Kyle’s left, barking up a storm. He sidestepped quickly so as not to get caught up in it-

\- only to see Ike’s head bobbing in the middle of it, struggling to stay afloat.

Afloat? This wasn’t water. But it _was_ a sea of puppies.

“HELP!” Ike yelled, as puppy after puppy barked and yipped, pulling him along. Kyle saw Ladybug and Chat Noir bounding across the rooftops, trying to get to him, and, biting his lip, he soon decided ‘fuck it’, and ran after the puppy swarm. _God, Ike, you owe me so bad for this-_ “HEY!”

The puppies suddenly halted, their heads swiveling towards Kyle. With their abrupt pause, Ike’s body went flying into the air as he screamed his head off, hands clutching the flaps of his own blue ushanka to keep it on his head, until Ladybug caught him in their arms. With a nod to Kyle, Ladybug zipped away, as Kyle faced the puppy horde, swallowing harshly. _Here goes nothing._

“Bad dog! All of you, bad dogs!” The puppies all seemed to flinch as Kyle’s voice seemed to grow in volume. They all took steps backward as the ginger advanced, still yelling. “You’re all _baaaad_ dogs, you hear me?! No one likes a bad dog! And that’s what you guys are! Peeing all over shit, making a mess of the town- you guys should be ashamed of yourselves!“ The puppies all whined. “Yeah, that’s right, whine you-“

“Whoa there, dude, I think you’ve done enough,” Kyle felt a clawed hand on his shoulder, and Chat Noir flashed him a charming smile before looking at the cowering puppies. “You did a pretty good scaring these pups. Had experience?”

Kyle sighed, placing a hand to his head. “If you count herding bratty kindergarteners as extra credit as something like experience.”

“Ooh, yikes,” Chat Noir winced. “But really, thanks for your help with this lot. They just keep increasing in number, and we can’t find Puppy Surprise anywhere.”

Kyle crossed his arms, thinking. “They multiply in threes, from what I saw, every time someone hits them with anything. Estella threw her purse at one and it disappeared before spawning three puppies. Kinda like the Puppy Sur- _oh._ ” Both boys made a face as they realized why the villain had been named Puppy Surprise.

“Whoever Hawk Moth is must have a Puppy Surprise toy or something,” Chat Noir muttered to himself. “It’s the only explanation…”

“Hawk Moth?” The name was familiar.

Chat Noir blinked, and then made a gesture that Kyle recognized as him tracing the shape of a megaphone in the air. Immediately he was hit with a blurry image – _drow elves, colorful sound waves, a megaphone with flaming decals, gray skin -,_ and he stumbled, Chat Noir catching him. “Whoa there. You alright, pretty boy?”

“ _Pretty_ boy?” Kyle asked incredulously.

Chat Noir only winked before his face took on a serious look again. “Seriously though. You alright? Ladybug saved your brother already, so you can go home now. We’ll handle this.”

“But you guys still haven’t found Puppy Surprise, and…” Kyle suddenly remembered Bebe and Wendy, and swallowed harshly. “Well. I still owe the Ladyblog a report on Puppy Surprise.”

Chat Noir sighed. “Ladybug will have my tail if I let you run straight into trouble… no. Hey, tell you what,” He held out a hand. “You give me your camera, and I put it somewhere where it can get a good shot of the fight in a safe spot. I’ll be like Peter Parker, except I’m not actually working on the Ladyblog!”

“Seriously?” Kyle’s eyes lit up. “I- no. No, I… I can’t.”

“Why not? It’s a good idea.”

“Yeah, but… Bebe and Wendy trusted _me_ to record my own stuff, not Chat Noir.” Kyle’s gaze grew determined. “I’m sorry, Chat Noir, but I’ll do the recording myself.”

The superhero looked thoughtful. “Stubborn boy. But alright, it’ll be our little secret. Just make sure miladybug doesn’t see you out in the open, or in the line of fire. We’ll _both_ be mincemeat if that happens.”

“I promise.

-=-

_“These are such good photos, Kyle! And the video quality- oh my God, Bebe is going to freak out when she sees these!”_ Wendy’s eyes scanned over what was most likely the files Kyle had sent over, a smile on her face. _“We really can’t thank you enough for being our on-site Ladyblogger most of the time.”_

Kyle leaned back on his computer chair, a satisfied smile on his face. “No biggie, Wendy. I signed up to be on the journalism team, and this is what you assigned me. I’ll do my work like everybody else.”

_“You really are a blessing,”_ Wendy cradled her cheek with her palm as her other hand moved to adjust the webcam. _“Sooooo. How was your weekend?”_

“Apart from nearly getting torn apart by waves of puppies, I’d say it was a pretty boring weekend,” Kyle stretched. “Aaaah. Mom tore me a new one when she found out Ike and I had left the bush she’d dropped us in, but when she found out I’d help save Ike, she shut up.”

Wendy’s image glitched for a moment – Kyle guessed it was lag on both their ends – before her video feed showed her laughing. _“I mean, it’s not often you hear your son literally barking at a bunch of puppies and terrifying them into submission.”_

“You make me sound like some sort of tyrant.”

_“Of course you aren’t! You’re no Nazi, like a certain someone we know.”_ The two rolled their eyes before Wendy queried, _“You went over to Bebe’s yesterday, right?”_

“Yeah. I got the files, they should be in the zip file I sent you,” Kyle said, scrolling through his own files for a moment to double check. “They’re there in the folder labeled ‘A-Lister’, supposedly. Unless I forgot to rename them again.”

Wendy was quiet for a few moments, scrolling. _“… Yeah, they’re all here, thank you! But, um…”_ She turned pensive. _“Did you see how Bebe was doing?”_

“Oh. Uh… she still wasn’t feeling very well,” The boy admitted, scratching the back of his neck. “Clyde was fast asleep on a beanbag and she was asleep when I came over, but she woke up when I entered her room and pointed me to her computer. When I’d asked if she was feeling any better, she shook her head.”

Wendy sounded mournful. _“Oh, poor Bebe… I’ll bring her some of the homework for the day tomorrow so Clyde doesn’t have to bring them all. Heaven knows the guy’s doing so much for her already. You’d think she was his entire world.”_ Pause. Her eyes suddenly became wistful. _“… And for all we know, she is.”_

“He’s always had a pretty big heart,” Kyle agreed. He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he leaned back on his chair once more. “Makes me a little jealous, how much they like each other. Or love.”

_“As if you don’t have someone you love just as much.”_ At Kyle’s quickly stammered protests, Wendy’s laughs crackled through the speakers. _“Oh, don’t you dare deny it, not after we caught you red-handed drawing Stan in between pictures of Ladybug!”_

“This isn’t the Kyle Broflovski call out hour, so shoosh!” Kyle hissed.

Wendy only laughed harder.

With a frustrated groan, Kyle dragged his hands down his face. “ _Wendy._ ”

_“Alright, alright, I’ll stop for now. But don’t think this is over-“_ Suddenly, Wendy looked to her left, as if listening for something, before yelling, _“Okay, Mom! Hey, Kyle, sorry, I gotta go- Mom needs me to run an errand. Talk to you at school tomorrow, good night!”_

“Good ni-“

Wendy had already disconnected.

Checking the time – a little past eight o’clock, not that late - , Kyle stood up for another full-body stretch, getting in some last minute stretching before he threw himself on his bed, relishing in the comfort of his sheets after a long, tiring day. _What I wouldn’t give to have some hot chocolate right before bed right now._

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

_Huh?_ “Come in?” Kyle sat up as his bedroom door opened, revealing his mother – and a mug of hot chocolate. “Mom?”

“I just thought you’d like some hot chocolate after today, my little bubala,” Sheila smiled, entering the room and placing the mug on top of Kyle’s desk. “Ike wanted some earlier and I thought you’d might like some too.”

Kyle’s face brightened up. “Yeah, actually, I did. Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome, bubbeh.” At this, Sheila moved over to plant a kiss on Kyle’s forehead. “Now remember, brush your teeth after you drink the hot chocolate, and then fix your things for school tomorrow. We don’t want to be late!”

The boy rubbed at his forehead before nodding. “Okay, Mom. I promise. Good night! And thanks for the hot chocolate!”

“Good night, Kyle. Sweet dreams, little bubala! Oh, and don’t forget to do your homework, and tell Stan and Wendy to stop keeping you up so late at night with chatting, and-“

“I GET IT MOM! GOOD NIGHT!”

Sheila exited the room, closing the door behind her, as Kyle stood up to grab the mug and inhale the scent of hot chocolate. _Mmm. Thank Jesus Ike wanted hot chocolate tonight. And are those marshmallows?_ He beamed. _The goooooood stuff._

As he sat down on the floor by his bed, enjoying his hot chocolate, Kyle began to sort through his school things, separating trash from notebooks. Crumpled up doodles of Ladybug and Chat Noir soon began to pile up on his left along with a few notes he’d passed here and there under the teachers’ noses. His notebooks soon formed a neat little stack in front of him after a few minutes, and with a satisfied smile, he began to put them inside his bag.

Until his eyes landed on the black box.

“Huh?” Curiously, he picked up the box, studying it. Octagonal and black, with rather pretty engravings lined in red that he was pretty sure could be classified under Asian designs, it seemed simple and plain enough to him. “I don’t remember owning a box like this. Who could it belong to?”

Tentatively, he shook it once. Something rattled inside it, and his eyes widened. Slowly, his fingers went to pry open the lid-

“HEY KYLE!”

“JESUS, IKE!” Kyle yelped, slamming the box shut and immediately chucking it inside his bag before Ike could see. With an irritated growl, he faced the doorway, where his younger brother stood in his footsie pajamas, sipping hot chocolate. “Maybe _warn_ a guy before you burst into his room?”

“I did! I yelled ‘hey Kyle!’ really loudly!” Ike said proudly.

Kyle groaned. “What do you want, Ike? I was fixing my stuff before you oh-so-kindly barged in without so much as a warning.”

“I just wanted to tell you something, that’s all.” Ike approached his brother, who looked up at him warily as the younger put down his mug of hot chocolate. Kyle only got the chance to blink before he found Ike throwing his arms around his brother’s neck, giving him a quick hug. Surprised, Kyle slowly returned the hug as Ike murmured, “Thanks for earlier, Kyle. Really. I was really scared those dogs were gonna get me.”

A warm feeling tickled Kyle’s chest. “Really?”

“Yeah. But don’t tell anyone I told you that!” Ike shushed him before letting go, smiling his wide Canadian smile. “I’m glad I have such a heroic big brother to save me when I get in trouble, even if I’m annoying.”

The warm feeling spread into full-body warmth, and Kyle was pretty sure he was red in the face. This was confirmed when Ike giggled. “You’re as red as your hair, Kyle.”

“S-shut up, Ike!” He protested before sighing and giving him a warm smile, putting his arms behind him and leaning back slightly. “… And you’re welcome. I’m glad to have such a smart little brother like you – even if you _do_ get into lots of trouble like me.” He ruffled Ike’s hair with one hand, making the younger boy squirm as he laughed. “Now go to bed before Mom catches us _both_ awake.”

“Okay!” Ike beamed, and took his hot chocolate again. “Good night, Kyle!”

“Good night.”

The younger boy shut the door.

Kyle sat there staring at the door for quite some time, still feeling rather warm after his brother had come in to thank him for sort of saving him. _It’s really nice to feel appreciated,_ he mused, hands wandering around near his thigh and finding his mug of hot chocolate, lifting it to his lips and taking a sip. _Wendy, Mom, Ike… makes a guy feel all sorts of warm inside._ His eyes soon began to drift from the door, eyeing his wall clock. _Nine already? Time flies… I should probably go brush my teeth right about now. Or get some water to wash out the sweet chocolate._

As he stood up, he got the feeling that he was forgetting something very important, but he shrugged, deciding to ponder it _after_ he’d gone and gotten a glass of water. Which he did. Afterwards, he considered his book bag. _Everything seems to be in…_ His eyes landed on the item sticking out of the bag. _… order? Oh! The box from earlier!_

“How did I forget about this thing?” Kyle sat down on his bed, picking up the box as he did so, before prying it open carefully. Inside, nestled in what was most likely red velvet – or some type of cloth, Kyle wasn’t into differentiating cloth types like Bebe, Nichole, and Annie -, was a necklace, its pendant in the shape of what appeared to be a fox tail.

He eyed the necklace, lifting the box up to his eye level to examine it closer. The pendant itself appeared to be segmented into five for some reason, each segment lined with the same gold that lined the outer edges, and it started at orange until fading into white at the tip of the tail. It was _very_ pretty – and seemed like something Red would wear, if he were to be honest.

And then something orange and glowing flew out of the necklace.

Unlike Butters, Kyle didn’t scream on sight, which was a marvel in itself, because he had gotten himself upright and thrown himself against the farthest corner of his bed and the spot where his bedpost met two of his bedroom walls in his initial fear, the box and the necklace abandoned on his bedsheet. His emerald green eyes refused to leave the orb of light hovering above his bed, which soon faded away to reveal…

“What in the…” Kyle whispered to himself, both in awe and slight fear. “What _is_ that thing?”

The little creature was best described as a floating fox-like figure, with tall orange fox ears possessing strange black antennae-like tips, and sharp purple eyes that radiated a mischief Kyle usually attributed to the likes of Kenny, or Ike. While it did have a fluffy fox tail, it seemed to float of its own accord, just like the creature itself, and when it spoke, its voice sounded rather sweet – almost feminine. Almost. Kyle was pretty sure it was male, however.

Don’t ask him how.

“I am not a _thing_ , kit,” The creature declared proudly. “I am a kwami – _your_ kwami, to be precise! My name is Trixx, nice to meet you!”

Kyle sank back down on his bed, still in awe of this tiny floating creature. “Uh… Kyle. Nice to uh, meet you too…?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t seen a floating fox before!” Trixx teased, floating up to Kyle and booping his nose with a… paw? Stub? Whatever it was, Kyle had been booped. “Just kidding. This is probably a big surprise to you.”

“No kidding.”

“But don’t worry! I’ll give you the rundown quick as a flash!” Trixx floated over to the pendant. “You may want to put this on first, though.”

“This thing?” Kyle reached over and put the necklace around his neck, the pendant resting squarely above his chest and cool against his skin. “I mean, I know it’s where you spawned from, but what is it?”

Trixx smiled. “Spawned from isn’t accurate, but we’ll get to that later. That necklace is the Fox Miraculous, and I am the fox kwami of this Miraculous, Trixx. You were chosen by the current Guardian to wield the powers of the Fox, and hopefully, use your powers for the good of others.”

“Guardian? Powers?” Kyle held up a hand, trying to process everything. “Okay, okay, hold on a bit. ‘Chosen’? ‘Powers of the Fox’? This sounds like something out of a fantasy novel. Or an anime.”

Trixx cocked his head to the side. “Anime?”

“Never mind. Just…” Kyle held the necklace in his hand, fiddling with it. “First things first. Who’s the Guardian?”

The fox kwami did a spin in midair. “The Guardian is the one who, well, guards the Miraculous, obviously! There’s a lot of Miraculous, but only one Guardian, and whoever is the current Guardian has a very grave responsibility to guard the Miraculous with their life. Usually, a Guardian has the Turtle Miraculous on their person, and that usually extends their life.”

“Kind of like actual turtles… that’s actually pretty neat, Trixx.” Kyle was beginning to warm up to the kwami, leaning forward to listen better. “So wait, who’s the Guardian right now? And how did he put this-“ He raised up the Miraculous. “- in my bag without me noticing?”

Trixx grinned. “That I don’t know. I’ve been napping the whole time in the box waiting for you to open it. After Jade Turtle told me he’d be sending me out, I was _ecstatic_ , you know? I’m never usually one of the first out, especially when there are kwami like the Bee, or the Peacock, or the Bull, or the Rooster…”

“Slow down, dude!” Kyle said, laughing. “Why would you think you wouldn’t be sent out first at all, though? You seem pretty cool.”

Trixx drooped. “Some of my previous holders have misused me, the same way they’ve misused the Moth Miraculous.”

“… Moth Miraculous?” Kyle felt a sense of foreboding. “What does _that_ do?”

“Well… it gives its wielder the power to give other people superpowers. Used for good, we can make heroes. Used for bad…” Trixx hugged his tail. “I remember the last time Nooroo was used for bad... he’s another kwami, by the way. Of the Moth Miraculous. Before you ask.”

Kyle’s question died on his tongue. “Hawk Moth.”

“Hawk Moth?!” Immediately the kwami was on alert. “Don’t tell me the Moth Miraculous has been-!”

“If my guesses are right… yeah. We’ve been having akuma attacks for a while now.”

Trixx moaned. “Oh no… then that means the Ladybug and the Black Cat Miraculous are out and active?”

“Yup. Ladybug and Chat Noir.” Kyle gestured for Trixx to wait, and he grabbed his phone, going to the Ladyblog and showing him pictures of old akumatized victims and the superheroes. “Aren’t they cool?”

Trixx made an ‘eh’ noise, which made Kyle bristle initially. “Sure, they’re cool. Tikki with her creation, and Plagg with his destruction. But personally, I like how _we_ do things – _illusion_.”

“… How _we_ do things?” The gears were quickly turning in Kyle’s head, and soon, his eyes widened. “Trixx, you mentioned… powers. What do you mean, powers?”

Trixx winked. “Superpowers. You’ll be like Ladybug and Chat Noir! But better, obviously. Because you’re _my_ chosen and _my_ kit.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“… Kyle?” Trixx asked in concern.

Kyle suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Trixx with both hands and landing squarely on his chest on his bed. He brought Trixx close to his face, eyes wide. “Trixx. Are you saying I’m gonna be a _superhero?_ ”

“ _Only_ if you use your powers for good, little kit!” Trixx could have phased out of his hands anytime he wanted, really, but he decided not to for now. “I mentioned that the fox miraculous has been misused many times before, and this is because we wield the power of illusions, but also represent lies in the balance of the world.”

Kyle raised an eyebrow. “Balance?”

“Notice how Ladybug and Chat Noir are creation and destruction? We’re part of a balance too – we happen to be the ones representing illusion and lies,” Trixx explained. “We hide the truth through our illusions, and people will usually not trust people who don’t tell the truth all the time.”

Kyle frowned, letting go of Trixx. “But… that’s… I help run the Ladyblog, Trixx. We’re journalists – sworn to the truth and only the truth.”

“But you’re also going to be a superhero now, Kyle,” Trixx said gravely. “The fate of the world depends on you. The Ladyblog can forgive you for not telling them you’re the fox. Speaking of which-“ He shot straight at Kyle’s face. “Never tell _anybody_ your secret identity. Your civilian identity is precious. I’m sure Ladybug and Chat Noir have told nobody about their identities, and you should do the same.”

Kyle thought about Stan, his Super Best Friend. The person he shared nearly everything with. “Not even Stan?”

“Not even Stan, whoever that is.” At Kyle’s despondent look, Trixx cooed, “It is for the best, my kit. You could be putting your family in danger if you reveal your identity to _anyone_. Anyone could be Hawk Moth – even this Stan. You have to be careful.”

_Stan? Hawk Moth?_ Kyle actually laughed at that one, but did find some truth to Trixx’s words. “Yeah… you’re right…” With a sigh, he flopped over, staring at the ceiling as Trixx rested on his nose. “This is a lot to take in, Trixx. You haven’t even explained my powers in depth, yet.”

“Would you like to see them?” Trixx offered. “There’s always wandering around your little home transformed into your hero outfit. Nobody will know it’s you except for the two of us.” Pause. “Unless you’re tired, that is. I see the moon out there, and I know you humans usually sleep at this hour.”

Kyle looked at the clock. Ten thirty? Really? “I _was_ gonna go to bed, but after I found you, I don’t think I can sleep at all tonight. Yeah, let’s do it!”

“Eager, aren’t you?” Trixx laughed as Kyle stood up. “When you say the words ‘Trixx, let’s pounce’, you’ll transform into the fox superhero. I won’t be around to talk to you since I’ll be in here-“ He tapped the necklace with a stubby hand. “- but I’m sure you’ll figure things out as you go along! You’re my chosen, and we foxes are very intuitive and clever. And you have the added bonus of running the… Ladyblog?” Trixx shook his head. “Whatever that is.”

Kyle gave him a thumbs up. “I’ll tell you all about it later, okay?”

“That is a promise. Now, say the words.”

“Trixx, let’s pounce!”

Kyle had been careful not to actually shout it, so as not to alert his family he was awake, so only he got to witness his transformation.

Yellow and orange light had made its way around his body, melting away his pajamas into a skintight bodysuit, predominantly orange in color with a white front. However, his bodysuit had a piece with a hood, similar to Kenny’s with the way white fur lined its edges. The bottom part of his suit was orange to a point just above his knees, where it was black instead, and the inner parts of his thigh area were white as well. Around his waist, an orange belt edged with black was wrapped around him, just like Chat Noir’s belt tail, but for Kyle, it resembled a fox tail, instead. He’d have called it coattails, had his outfit been a coat. Across his eyes, Kyle felt the light tickle as a mask formed itself on his face – orange with a white bottom half, with two black dots above the eyeholes, and he felt two long things emerge from his head – tall fake fox ears, similar to that of Trixx’s, but without the antennae-like parts.

As the light faded, Kyle examined himself from head to toe, feeling particularly excited. He immediately faced the biggest mirror in his room, and examined the parts he couldn’t see. There, he saw that his red hair was even more vibrant than ever, but parts of it were tipped with white, and the fox ears were _extremely_ gaudy, in his opinion. He pulled at one experimentally. What intrigued him the most, however, were his eyes. Gone were his trademark emerald greens – his eyes were now a blazing orange, the pupils slit like a real fox’s, and the sclera black as the night.

“This is so cool…” Kyle whispered, before pulling at one of his fake ears again, not really liking its presence. It was then that he remembered that the suit had a hood, and with a conspiratorial grin, pulled it over his head. The ears, miraculously enough, folded themselves and fit under the hood, and when Kyle turned to look at the mirror again, he saw only a mysterious character, the fox Miraculous hanging from his neck like an ancient talisman.

_Mysterious…_ Kyle considered the word for a while, before settling on a superhero name. _Mysteroux. For mystere, and roux. And it kinda sounds like Mysterion, which is fitting, because I look a LOT like Kenny right now. I’m even bright orange!_ Kyle – Mysteroux – laughed to himself, turning around before discovering that there was a flute strapped to his back. “Oh, sick, a flute? That’s my weapon?”

“ _Kyle? You still awake?”_

_Fuck!_ Mysteroux cursed to himself before deciding that answering would probably be a better option. “Uh, yeah Mom! Just trying to bore myself to sleep!”

Silence.

_“Oh. Alright then, bubala… have a good rest.”_

“Night, mom.” _Oh sweet Jesus, thank God she bought that._ With a sigh of relief, Mysteroux decided that that was enough for now, and murmured, “Trixx, that’s enough.”

Silence again.

“Uh… Trixx?”

Silence once more.

“Fuck, right, he can’t hear me while inside my Miraculous. Uhhh… what’s the reverse of let’s pounce?” Mysteroux racked his brain before settling on a catchphrase. “Um, Trixx, bounce back?” And just as suddenly as it had been on his person, the costume of Mysteroux disappeared into a flash of orange and yellow light, leaving behind a pajama-clad Kyle Broflovski, and a grinning Trixx the fox kwami, doing somersaults in midair.

“Wasn’t that so cool, my little kit?” Trixx cheered.

Kyle nodded, smiling. “It definitely was. Though I have no idea how I’m gonna use a fucking flute, of all things.”

“Oh, you’ll learn. All my kits do at some point. But not tonight – you need rest!” Shooing Kyle back into bed and pulling up the covers over his body, Trixx snuggled next to Kyle on his pillow, smiling at him. “You are going to do so many great things, my kit. My Kyle.”

“You think so?” Kyle turned over to face him. His face was serious. “But… what if I turn out like all the other Fox Miraculous holders? The ones you said misused your Miraculous?”

Trixx shook his head. “I know you won’t. You have a certain moral integrity. You’re more trustworthy than a lot of the other chosen I’ve had over the centuries.” He booped Kyle’s nose yet again with a stub. “Must come with being a journalist. I remember one of my previous chosen being a journalist too – she was just as strong-willed as you from the moment I met her, and clever too! Oh, how I will enjoy our time together, Kyle – as I hope you will, too.”

“I’m already enjoying our time together, Trixx,” Kyle promised. “You’re pretty cool.” Beat. “So I really can’t tell Stan?”

“Never. It’s for your own good, and his. And his safety.”

“Well… alright.” Kyle sighed into the cool night air wafting in through his window, slightly ajar. “Sleep a little lower, Trixx. Mom might see you when she comes here in the morning.”

Trixx winked. “Don’t you worry a single pretty red hair of yours. I’m a tricky little fox, she’ll never find me. Now good night, Kyle, my dear kit. Sweet dreams.”

“Good night, Trixx.”

Kyle closed his eyes, just as Ladybug and Chat Noir went flying past his window, already halfway done with their nightly patrol.


End file.
